Destiny Rewritten
by KisandraWesker
Summary: AU: What if Cloud was on Sephiroth's side? Read and find out!
1. Prologue

Destiny Rewritten

Sephiroth and Cloud have been secretly in love with each other ever since SOLDIER. Sephiroth returns and tells of his plan. Will Cloud help? AU! SephXCloud

Prologue

Night covered Midgar in a blanket of starry darkness. All was mostly quiet in the MAKO city. Five long, cruel years have passed for Cloud Strife, who laid on his bed, staring out to the dimly lit city. Five years since Sephiroth, his lover, had disappeared into the Lifestream. Oh, how he missed him! How he longed to hear that rich, masculine voice of his, to feel his gentle touch and to taste his soft lips once more.

Reaching into his black shirt, he pulled out a silver locket on a sterling silver chain and opened it. Inside were him and Sephiroth when they were SOLDIER. He remembered the first kiss they had. That first kiss was the greatest moment Cloud will ever remember.

Snapping it shut, he placed back inside and settled back down on his bed. The moment that shattered their hopes... was the horrible truth about Sephiroth. Cloud remembered trying to save him from going mad, but... it was already too late. The last thing he did was throw him into the Lifestream, in desperate need to save his friend, Zack.

That memory still haunted him to this day. Tears welled up in his eyes as it replayed in his mind again and again. Oh how he wished that he could've saved him! Why couldn't he? He rolled over, planting his face into his pillow, as muffled sobs racked his body.

"... I'm so sorry, Sephiroth... I'm so sorry!" he cried out.

_Cloud..._

His head snapped up, hearing that familiar voice. It couldn't be...! Has he come back?

"Sephiroth?" he called out.

_Cloud..._

He heard him again. He had to be back!

"Sephiroth! Where are you? Please stop hiding!" he pleaded.

He rushed to the window and saw a figure looking up at him. It had to be him! It HAD to! Grabbing his Buster Sword, he hurried downstairs and outside. Oh please, let it be him! When he got to the spot... the figure was gone. Ready to give up, he heard his name being called again. He saw the figure going down a dark alley and quickly followed it.

Following him to Sector 5, he looked around, having lost the figure again. His name reached his ears and saw the figure heading towards the church. Getting inside, he listened for his name again as he walked cautiously down the aisle.

"Sephiroth? Are you in here?" he called out.

No response. He got to the patch of flowers before him and he knelt before it, placing his sword down beside him. He listened for any whisper, but after a few moments, nothing. Was he imagining things? No! He heard him! He knew it was him! Tears fell from his eyes again as doubts began to wedge into his heart.

Was he really hearing things? What if Sephiroth truly is dead? Was he going crazy? He shook his head vigorously, trying to shake them off as more tears flowed down his face. Looking up, he spotted something amidst the flowers. Reaching over the daisies, he picked a single, black feather. But, it was bigger than a bird feather. His eyes widened... this must belong to...

He held it gingerly to his chest, hope soaring in his heart, replacing the sorrow and doubt. He looked to the skies through the hole in the roof, a trace of a watery smile tugging at his lips.

"... Sephiroth... please come home."

"Aerith, there's a girl named Marlene inside my bar. Could you look after her?" asked Tifa over the gunfire.

"I'll put her somewhere safe!" Aerith assured while tending to the wounded Wedge, who tried to help Barret.

It was a dark day for AVALANCHE; ShinRa had planned to blow the Sector 7 pillar that held up the plate. If that were to happen, everything would be gone. Cloud and Tifa equipped themselves good before beginning their ascent up the pillar steps. Along the way, they encountered the dying bodies of Biggs and Jessie, both telling them the same thing: 'Go help Barret'. As they made their way up, they encountered defenders of ShinRa, but the two dispatched of them with little to no difficulty.

'I just wish Sephiroth was here right now. He would love to help us stop ShinRa after what they did to him!' Cloud thought as they neared the top.

"Barret!" Tifa called out as they made it to the apex.

"Tifa! Cloud! You made it! They're attacking from the helicopter, so watch your backs!" Barret replied.

Handing him some decent equipment, Barret readied himself as the helicopter swooped in. A man with fiery red hair that was tied in a low ponytail and wearing a blue suit jumped down and reached the control panel.

"Too late. Once I push this button" he did so and a countdown started. "There. That's all, folks. Mission accomplished," he smirked.

"Cloud, stop him!" Tifa pleaded.

"I can't allow you to do that. No one messes with Reno of the Turks," he said.

A long and arduous fight ensued. Reno was quick on his feet and quick to entrap Tifa and Barret, leaving Cloud all alone.

"Last one and that's it. Man, Mr. President is going to be pleased," Reno chuckled.

Cloud felt his anger ready to boil over, resulting in a Cross Slash Limit Break and dealing some major hurt to the red head assassin. Despite the pain, he beat a hasty retreat. With him gone, Tifa hurried over to the panel and tried to stop the countdown, but whatever she put in, it only seemed to speed it up.

"Cloud, I can't stop it. You try," she said.

"It's no ordinary bomb," Cloud realized after a moment of typing.

The helicopter came up to the side and there stood a black haired male with the same color suit on and a tiny red dot on his forehead. Tseng, leader of the Turks.

"You're correct. It is no ordinary bomb. It's was developed by our Weapon Development depart and if some moron were to touch, the bomb would set off and down comes the pillar," he said.

"Please, stop it!" Tifa pleaded.

"I'm afraid I can't do that," Tseng replied with a shake of his head.

"Shut yer hole!" Barret said, taking aim with his gun arm.

"I wouldn't do that. You might injure our little guest," Tseng smirked, looking to the figure kneeling beside him. It was Aerith!

"Aerith!" Tifa cried out.

"Oh, so you know each other. Our orders were to locate and capture the remaining Ancient. I thought you may to see each other one last time," Tseng said.

Aerith reached out. "Don't worry! She's safe!" she said.

Tseng smacked her in the face, knocking her back.

"Aerith!" Tifa shouted, reaching out for her.

"I should be running if I were you. Your time's about run out," Tseng said.

"Hurry and get out!" Aerith pleaded.

With that, the helicopter pulled away, just as parts of the plate began to come down. The three frantically searched for a fast way to escape the falling debris. A falling piece of rubble nearly hit Cloud, but he managed to get out of the way in time, yet resulted in getting separated from the two.

"CLOUD NO!" Tifa screamed.

"Tifa! Barret, get out!" Cloud said to them.

"We ain't leavin' ya!" Barret said.

"I said GO! I'll be ok!" Cloud pleaded with them.

_Cloud... go to the railing! _

There it was again; Sephiroth's voice. His eyes widened for a second.

"Yo! We can use this!" Barret said suddenly, spotting a hook attached to the railing.

Jumping on first, Tifa made to go next, but when she turned around, Cloud was near the railing on the other side.

"CLOUD, DON'T!" she screamed.

He looked back to her for a second before stepping onto the railing. He was only focused on listening to that familiar voice that sounded so sweet in his ears.

'Sephiroth... are you really going to catch me?' he thought.

_Jump... now! _Closing his eyes, he leapt off.

"CLOUD!" Tifa shrieked.


	2. Chapter 1: Return of the OWA

**Ch 1**

Cloud's hopes have been restored. Is Sephiroth really returning?

Return of the One Winged Angel; storming ShinRa HQ

Falling felt like forever. The wind around him whistled in his ears as he plummeted to the ground. Was he only plunging to his death or would Sephiroth be there to save him in time? He could only pray.

'SEPHIROTH!' he cried out in his mind.

Suddenly, he felt himself land in someone's arms. He slowly opened his eyes and they widened as he saw that familiar beautiful face he had so longed to see again.

"... Sephiroth..." he breathed.

"Hold onto me, Cloud. This plate's about to come down," Sephiroth said.

Cloud nodded and clutched onto him. The next thing he knew, both were enveloped in darkness and the sound of the falling plate became distant. The blonde felt his heart beginning to race and began to hyperventilate as the darkness seemed to come closer to him.

"Cloud... calm down. My darkness will never hurt you as long as you're with me," came Sephiroth's soothing voice.

He looked up to see a comforting smile on the ex-General's face. He rested his head against his muscular chest while Sephiroth stroked his blonde hair.

"Where are we going?" Cloud asked.

"I'm taking you to the playground. After that, I have to leave you for awhile," Sephiroth replied.

"NO! I don't want you to leave! Listen, I'm sorry for what I did five years ago, but..." tears came to his eyes. "... I was trying to save you. I didn't want to lose you," he whispered as they flowed down his face.

"I know you were, my love. I forgive you. But, rest assured; I'll be back for you, I promise," Sephiroth said before planting a kiss on his forehead.

The blonde could only nod before his eyes drifted closed as Sephiroth hummed him a lullaby he used to sing to him when they were SOLDIER. His voice became distant until he couldn't hear it anymore.

When he awoke, he found himself laying on the slide at the playground with Tifa hovering over him, worry on her face.

"Oh Cloud, thank goodness you're awake! But come quick! It's Barret..." she said.

Cloud slowly sat up and saw the ruins of what remained of the Sector 7 plate and there kneeled the AVALANCHE leader. The blonde got up and the two hurried over to him. Barret went into a fit of rage, fearing the worst for Marlene and the rest of AVALANCHE as he saw the wreckage of the once Sector 7.

"... Biggs... Wedge... Jessie..." Barret sniffed, human hand resting on the wall of rubble.

"All three of them were in the pillar," Tifa said sadly, resting a hand on the burly man's shoulder.

"... Most of all... Marlene," said he, tears threatening to fall.

"Barret... I don't think Marlene's dead," Cloud said.

Barret whipped around, his eyes wide at the sudden news. "What?" he exclaimed.

"Remember what Aerith said? 'She's alright. She put her somewhere safe'. She's still alive, Barret," Tifa said.

"Oh yea, that Aerith girl. She risked her life for her," Barret said.

As he rushed towards the exit, he turned around and added "This ain't over! Not yet!" he said before heading off.

"Barret, wait up! You don't where she is!" Tifa said, making to follow him.

As Cloud made to go, he shifted gaze over his shoulder, as if feeling Sephiroth's presence behind him, but there was nothing.

_Go on, Cloud. Follow them. _

"... I'll see you, Sephiroth," he said before leaving.

Arriving at Elmyra's house, they heard sigh and say "Cloud, wasn't it? Is it true?"

"I'm sorry. The ShinRa have her," Cloud said, looking away.

"... They came by here earlier, saying something about her being the last Ancient..." so, Elmyra told them her story on how she met Aerith by the train station while awaiting her husband's arrival from the war.

She described Aerith's mother's last words before she died. As months went by, she began to notice Aerith's special gift and how the ShinRa wanted her so badly, so she was constantly hiding from them. After her story, the trio was in awe.

"That's amazing... running from the ShinRa for so long," Cloud said.

"Before they took her, she brought a little girl here," Elmyra said.

"That's Marlene!" Barret suddenly said. Then, he added "Please, ma'am. Marlene's my daughter, you see?"

"Your daughter?" Elmyra gasped.

"I know. But, I have to fight the ShinRa! Yet, I regret not being able to be with my girl. So, I have to keep fightin'. See now, I'm going in circles already," Barret said.

"I get what you're saying. She's upstairs, sleeping," Elmyra said.

Barret hurried up the stairs while Cloud stepped outside for awhile. He looked to the skies as he clutched at the feather tied around his neck.

'... I can't believe ShinRa has her. What's worse... they're responsible for what they done to you. When we rescue Aerith... I'm going to bring down ShinRa!' he thought.

_... And I will be there at your side to help you._

After Barret spent a few moments with his daughter, he came barreling down the stairs upon hearing that Cloud and Tifa were going to rescue Aerith.

"I'm sorry, but could you watch Marlene a bit longer?" he asked.

"Of course I will. Just be careful and don't get yourselves killed," Elmyra replied with a nod.

"It's not safe around here anymore. You better go somewhere else," Barret added before heading off with Tifa and Cloud.

Heading to Wall Market and picking up the batteries needed to proceed to ShinRa HQ, they followed a pack of kids to an alleyway. Arriving there, they saw a wire leading up. Starting the climb up, Cloud stopped at a couple of kids, gawking at the sight of the destruction of Sector 7.

'... All of that, just to get to us? How low can ShinRa sink?' he thought.

_They will pay, won't they, my love? _

Cloud smiled to himself at the comforting sound of Sephiroth's voice. He was close to him, though not visible.

"Yea... they're going to get it when we get there," he said before continuing the climb.

Reaching the HQ, Cloud was in awe at the sheer size, so were the other two. "Cloud, you've been in ShinRa. You've been here, right?" Barret asked.

"Actually, no. This is the first time I've been to the actual headquarters," Cloud admitted.

"Awright! Let's go!" Barret shouted, ready to barge inside.

"Wait! There has to be another way!" Tifa stopped him.

"There is no other way, Tifa! If we don't go in there now, Aerith will..." he trailed off for a moment. Then, he focused his attention on Cloud. "What do you think, Cloud?" he asked.

Cloud pondered for a moment; going in the front meaning starting an early ruckus, which he meant to save until they rescued Aerith. But taking the stairs may take longer and by then, Aerith could be...

_What do you have to be afraid of? You can take them. I'll be there with you, granting you my strength. _

'... Thank you, Sephiroth,' he thought. Then, he said with a smirk "Let's go!"

"Awright! Now we're talking!" Barret laughed before following Cloud inside.

Indeed, security was on them, upon realizing who they were. There were twenty soldiers and three of them.

_Hmph. Pathetic. Let's take them together, Cloud! _

'Right!' Cloud thought with determination, gripping his Buster Sword tightly.

Suddenly, he felt Sephiroth's spirit joining his and immense strength began flowing through his being, filling him with unfathomable power. So, this was the power of the mighty General. Once, did he experience by sight, but this was no ordinary strength. This felt more... even words couldn't describe how he was feeling inside.

_My strength is your strength. Our souls are joined together. We fight as one, Cloud!_

With a united battle cry, the trio began fighting away at the soldiers. Cloud fought more fiercely with the speed and strength of the famed General.

"Cloud... how is he..." Tifa gasped as she took down a guard.

"What in the...!" Barret breathed, shooting down another.

As they fought, Cloud could feel him guiding his sword, as if it were his own weapon. Never did the blonde imagine fighting alongside his long time lover again after what happened five years ago. All of his pent up emotions were flowing out as he continued to fight; anger at the Planet, sadness of losing Sephiroth, joy of fighting beside him once more, and love that was finally rekindled. Tears welled up in MAKO eyes as the siege neared its end.

_Tears? Why cry? _

'... I thought I lost you five years ago. And now, here you are... fighting beside me again! I thought I would never see you again,' Cloud replied.

He felt his tears disappearing, as if being wiped away.

_Like I said, I forgive you for what you did. I understood why you did what you did. Now, let's finish them! _

With a final scream, Cloud finished the last of the security, leaving him panting as his sword was poised out to the side. His sword arm finally dropped to his side as Sephiroth's presence vanished from inside.

"Cloud... are you ok?" Tifa asked, timidly going up to him.

"... Yea, I'm fine. Let's just find Aerith and get out of here. Who knows how many more guards could be lurking around," Cloud replied, glancing over his shoulder.

The two nodded in agreement before following him to the elevator. Once on, another trap was sprung on them, resulting in more fights. Sneaking past some guards, they made their way up, obtaining keycards as they went. Coming to the 66th floor, they spotted ShinRa executives heading into the meeting room. Climbing up a ventilation shaft, they overheard President ShinRa's plans.

"That dirty..." Barret cursed under his breath.

"Shhh! Listen!" Tifa whispered.

Hojo came in and spoke of the progress he was making with Aerith. After a few minutes, President ShinRa adjourned the meeting.

"Let's follow him," Cloud said, referring to Hojo.

Crawling out, he followed him up to the science floor.

"Is this today's specimen?" asked Hojo's assistant.

"Yes. Please get it ready," Hojo replied.

The assistant nodded before leaving. Hojo stalked up to the glass and patted it a few times.

"My precious specimen," he cooed.

Finally, he left and the trio spread out. Tifa walked up to the glass chamber and looked through. There laid a creature that looked half-dog and half-lion and its fur was the color of flames, all the way down to the tip of its flaming tail.

"Is this going to used in some sort of experiment?" she asked.

While the two were looking around, Cloud spotted a tank to his right. Walking up to it, he heard Sephiroth's voice again.

_Mother... she's really here. _

Suddenly, he heard Jenova's own voice creep into his mind.

_**Hello, my son. So this is the one whom you take interest in. **_

_Yes, Mother. I'll be back for you when I can._

Cloud clutched at his head at hearing not one, but two voices in his head.

'Sephiroth, stop it! It's hurting me!' he pleaded, collapsing to his knees.

"Cloud!" Tifa gasped, seeing his friend in sudden pain.

As he started to fall back, he thought he heard Sephiroth calling for him as well.


	3. Chapter 2: Reunited at last

**Ch 2**

Now that Jenova's been introduced, Cloud and the gang must escape ShinRa HQ.

Reunited at last

Cloud cursed to himself. Their rescue and escape attempt had gone wrong. If he could, he could've counted how many things they'd done wrong, had he that many fingers. Now they were locked up in different cells, with Aerith next door on one side and Barret with Red XIII, a new friend, on the other side.

He'd told Tifa to get some sleep; who knew when the chance for escape may arise. Sitting up against the wall opposite to the cot that Tifa was lying on, Cloud drifted off to sleep, where his dreams were filled with nothing but his lover.

President ShinRa sat at his desk, a smirk on his lips. Tomorrow was the execution of AVALANCHE. This was perfect in his eyes; he would blame them for the fall of the sector seven plate and as long as the people didn't blame the President himself, it was under control.

As he relaxed in his seat, he sighed in contentment. Soon, what they had worked towards getting the Promised Land will soon be all worth it in the end. They had the girl who would lead them there. This was a place filled with boundless mako energy, and everyone would come to the company to get it.

His thoughts made him oblivious to the fact that Palmer has just entered his office. Walking up to the president's desk, the fat man set down small stack of papers on the desk. The president looked up at Palmer, who had a smile on his face, then to the stack on his desk.

"New research, correct? Or is it new funds?" he asked.

Palmer's smiling face suddenly went to a look of sheer fright. The president had a questioning expression on his face. "What'd I say?" he asked.

Palmer was no longer looking at him, but to what was **behind** him. He slowly pointed. "Se..se.."

"What? Spill it, man!" he growled, slowly getting agitated.

Palmer just kept on pointing. The president grew tired of his antics and turned around. He soon wished he hadn't. "Sephiroth!" he screamed.

The Masamune plunged into his back, blood splattering all over his desk. His eyes widened in shock before slumping over his bloody desk. Palmer screamed in terror as he ran. Sephiroth smirked as he yanked his blade out.

"... Pathetic. Not listening to one of your 'friends' until the last minute. Now..." he disappeared out of the office and headed towards the tank, where Jenova was being held.

_Mother, I'm here now. _

_**Thank you, my son. Hurry and set me free! **_

Sephiroth blasted the tank door open with a Fire2, careful not to hurt her. Helping her out, her appearance suddenly took a woman with long silver hair and dressed in a silver and black kimono. Her eyes were crimson.

_**If you wish to retrieve the boy, do so now. We cannot stay here much longer. **_

Sephiroth nodded before Jenova disappeared. Hurrying towards the cells, he cut down anyone who got in his way. Cutting down the guard that stood near the door, he obtained the keys and unlocked all three doors. Sensing where Cloud was being kept, he opened the door and saw the blonde asleep, his head to the side. He casted Sleep at the buxom brunette before he knelt next to him, shaking him gently.

Cloud felt himself being shaken awake. He opened his eyes slowly, letting the light creep in. The ShinRa building?

'Crap, I forgot. How could I forget?' he thought.

As his eyes focused, he realized that he was looking at a man with silver hair. Sephiroth was standing over him.

"Cloud... wake up," he whispered.

Cloud's eyes widened, then he smiled. He was actually here with him. He threw his arms around him and Sephiroth returned the embrace.

"Hello, again, my love," Sephiroth said softly.

"Sephiroth, I missed you so much. I-" he was cut off by Sephiroth's whisper.

"Shh. Quiet now, Cloud. We will speak more later, I promise. First, we have to get out of here," Sephiroth said, pulling him to his feet.

"But... my sword!" Cloud suddenly realized.

Sephiroth grabbed it from behind his back and handed it to him, along with all of his confiscated Materia. He smiled before following his lover out. Along the way, he saw corpses littering the way. Coming to the busted open tank, he realized Sephiroth must've set Jenova free. Stopping at the 69th floor, the two kissed passionately, happy to be reunited. They let go and Sephiroth caressed his cheek.

"You've grown a little, Cloud," Sephiroth observed.

Cloud smiled a little. "And you haven't changed a bit... not in five years," he added.

"Once we get out of here, I have something to tell you. Something that will ensure our future," Sephiroth said.

Cloud nodded in understanding before claiming the ex-General's lips once more in a passionate kiss. After a moment, they broke apart. They started up the stairs, but a sound of a chopper stopped them. Cloud gritted his teeth in annoyance. How could he forget about the president's son, Rufus?

"Back this way," Sephiroth said, taking his hand and back downstairs.

Coming to a window, he shattered it with one swing of his sword. Turning to Cloud, he offered his hand. Taking it, Cloud felt himself being brought close to the General.

"Hold on tight," he said.

The next they know, they were flying through the night. He shut his eyes because the cold night air stung them, making them water. He clutched onto his black jacket tightly as he felt them gaining altitude.

"You can open your eyes now," he heard Sephiroth say.

Slowly but surely, he did so and the sight below him made his eyes widened. The city below them was lit with so many colored lights! He looked up, unable to say anything and Sephiroth smiled softly at him.

"Like what you see?" he asked.

He could nod, making the General chuckle. He could see that little, innocent Cadet from five years ago coming through because of his attitude. Stars blinked in the black sky as the guys walked towards into the small town of Kalm. Sephiroth had insisted that they did not stop along the way, so they continued on. They rented a room at the inn and got settled in.

"Listen to me Cloud. What happened in the past is in the past now, so I need you to listen to me. While I was in Nibelheim, I thought of a grand idea. But I need your help. Will you?" he asked.

Cloud hesitated for a moment. But, his mind drifted back to what happened at the reactor and how angry he was at the Planet for taking away his lover. Finally, he nodded.

"Good. Here's what we're going to do. In the south, there is a large temple. It was built by the Ancients of long ago. Inside dwells a materia beyond all Materia. It is called the Black Materia, which is essential to my plan." Sephiroth explained.

"So, do we have to go and get it?" Cloud asked.

Sephiroth smirked and shook his head. "I thought of letting Miss Lockhart and the others get it for us," he replied.

"Why them?" Cloud asked, clearly confused.

"Let them get the Black Materia, and then we take it back and summon Meteor. And when it crashes into the Planet-"

"Won't that destroy everything?" Cloud asked, cutting him off.

Again, Sephiroth shook his head no. "It will only make a hole to the Lifestream. Then, we shall absorb the very power of the Planet. We would be gods, you, me and Mother," he replied.

"Gods? Us?" Cloud asked in awe.

"Yes, Cloud. We'll be together forever and rule this planet. She's told me so much that is very important to our plan. And she is eager to meet you. We will meet her in Junon," Sephiroth said, wrapping an arm around him.

Cloud nodded in understanding as a yawn escaped him. "First, let's get some sleep," he said, his eyes already drifting towards slumber.

Sephiroth helped him into bed and placing a kiss of his forehead, he too got ready for bed. Pulling the covers him and turning off the lamp, he whispered to him, "Next time, we get a room with one bed."

Cloud chucked. "You got that right," he whispered back before drifting off to sleep.


	4. Chapter 3: Next stop: Junon

**Ch 3**

Cloud awakes the next morning, still in Kalm.

Next stop: Junon

The next morning, the blond was awoken by the sun's bright rays shining through the window not too far from the bed he was sleeping on. He slowly sat up, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.

"... Sephiroth?" he asked sleepily.

Looking around, there was no sign of him. He frowned as he was looking forward to waking up with him. But, there was a note on the nightstand beside him. Grabbing it, he read:

_Dearest Cloud, _

_I'm sorry to run off again, but I have to go meet with Mother in Junon. You should know the way there. I left a map for you just in case. One day, we'll be together forever. I'll be waiting for you there. I love you_

_Sephiroth_

He smiled. So he was waiting for him. Hearing the door open, he looked over the stairs and saw his friends coming in. Getting up, Tifa was the first to sight the blonde and rushed into his arms.

"Cloud! Thank goodness you're ok! I thought..." she trailed off.

"I'm alright, Tifa. I managed to get away," Cloud said.

"But how, spike?" Barret asked.

"That's not important. Right now, we're safe. Aerith, are you alright?" Cloud asked.

"I'm fine. It was kind of tough getting away from ShinRa with the security they sent after us," the flower girl replied.

"So, Cloud. Care to tell us about this Sephiroth character?" asked the half-lion Red XIII.

Cloud's heart skipped a beat. So Tifa told them who was responsible for President ShinRa's death. Sighing, he forced himself to calm down and the others got into comfortable spots in the room. When they were settled in, he began.

"Sephiroth... he used to be my friend. Or you could call him a war buddy, but still... I trusted him with my life. We went on quite a few missions together. That was five years ago and I was about sixteen at that time. He and I, with a few other guys, were heading towards an old MAKO reactor in Mt. Nibel. Reports said it was spewing out brutal monsters left and right. People were afraid at Nibelheim. I kept wondering; were they afraid of us or the monsters that lurked around?" He took another breath and continued.

"When a monster tried to stop us, Sephiroth just simply cut it down like it was nothing. His strength was unreal. It's nothing like what you heard in stories about him," he said.

"Could you help him?" Aerith asked.

"I tried to, but I almost got killed. Good thing he was there to save me. We finally got to Nibelheim and it was like I remembered it on the day I left. I remember... visiting my mom. She was a vibrant woman. She died a few days later. I didn't know how, but... she just did. I remember Sephiroth and I going to ShinRa Manor, the largest building in Nibelheim. The people there said that people from the company used to live there for awhile while on business. To me, that place gave me the creeps. Some say it was haunted, but I didn't believe in that stuff," he scoffed at the end.

_Don't forget our first kiss there _Sephiroth added with a chuckle.

'Not in front of them! They don't need to know!' Cloud growled back at him.

"After our investigation, we stopped at an inn for awhile and rested. Early the next morning, we got up and we headed for Mt. Nibel," he continued.

"I remember that I was ya'lls guide. I was surprised to see again that day, Cloud," Tifa piped in.

"Yea, I was surprised myself that you were the guide. Plus, I didn't want you getting hurt on our way there," he nodded.

"But, I had you as my bodyguard, right?" Tifa smiled.

Cloud nodded before continuing. "We made our way up the mountain. When we came across this bridge, we suddenly felt giving away. The ropes snapped and... we fell," he said.

"I thought I was a goner, then. When we woke up, Sephiroth and the others seemed to be alright. Thankfully, we were as well, so we went on. When we got to this fountain, I explained what it was," Tifa said.

"We finally made it to the reactor from where the monsters were said to be coming from. Sephiroth and I went inside it and we came to a room full of these pods. He told me that they were filled with these creatures. Out of nowhere, he spotted a loose valve and made me close it up. He called me over to a certain pod. When I looked inside... there was this... this hideous creature inside. He explained that these were soldiers... and that's when things went bad. Sephiroth just started going into this rage and attacked the pod the creature was in. I tried to stop him, but he wouldn't. Finally, he calmed down enough to speak to me again," Cloud continued.

He stopped for a moment as the pain of his past started to come back to him as he told the story. No one missed the sorrowful look on the blond ex-SOLDIER's face.

_It's alright, Cloud. Don't forget I'm right here with you. Go on with the story. _

'I'm afraid that they'll figure it out if I go on,' Cloud said to him.

He felt a comforting hand on his shoulder. Fighting the urge to look behind him, he took a calming breath before finishing up. He told of Sephiroth locking himself away in the manor, never to be seen for awhile. One day, Cloud went inside and downstairs through a secret passage to a library. The General was reading old files of Professor Gast's project: the Jenova Project. Reading these files sent the man into a sorrowful state. Cloud tried to comfort him, but the elder man wished to be left alone. The next day, the young cadet sensed something was wrong when Sephiroth didn't come up from the library. Going back down, he found him sitting behind a desk.

"He called me a traitor for some reason. Then, he went about the Cetra stealing the planet from his mother, Jenova. After that, he stormed out and I followed. When I got outside... Nibelheim was burning. I saw Sephiroth in the midst... cutting down people in his way. I couldn't stand watching it happen. He disappeared towards Mt. Nibel, heading to the reactor. I found him trying to escape with Jenova... in my eyes, he wasn't the same Sephiroth I used to know..." Cloud trailed off.

A single tear went down his face as more memories resurfaced. Unseeable, yet strong comforting arms wrapped around him as Sephiroth embraced him.

_You did well, love. I think they know enough now. _

Cloud nodded mentally before wiping the tear away. "That's my story," he said.

No one spoke for a moment. Cloud headed downstairs and out the door for some fresh air. He leaned his back against the building as he tried to relax himself. Telling about his past was harder than he thought, especially trying to leave out his relationship with Sephiroth.

_Again, you did well. I know it was difficult to do, but like I said, you have me at your side, even though I'm not physically there. _

'But, you will be when I get to Junon, right?' Cloud asked.

_Yes. Mother and I are waiting for you. Make sure you're not followed when you leave them. _

The connection was broken and he went back inside as the sun was setting. The gang headed to bed after a long day of escaping ShinRa and traveling. As Cloud lay awake in bed while the others slept, Sephiroth's plan replayed in his mind. If it all works out like he planned it, then indeed they would be together forever. A small smile curled his lips as he closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep, dreaming of his guardian angel.

4:30 a.m.

Cloud awoke to his cell phone buzzing, sounding his alarm. He quickly turned it off and slid out of bed. Grabbing his gear and sword, he quietly headed downstairs and out the door once again. Making sure no one was watching him, he stole away into the early morning. Dashing across the plains, he turned back to see Kalm, but it was nothing more than a dot on the horizon. Sighing, he continued his journey. The sun rose into the sky, making the morning dew sparkle on the blades of grass.

A soft breeze brushed against his exposed arms and face, making him shiver slightly. Suddenly, he spotted a figure on the horizon. Squinting against the sun's light, his eyes widened; it was Sephiroth! He was waiting for him! Grinning, he broke into a full run. Sephiroth smiled and started walking towards him. Cloud torpedoed into his arms, knocking them both down. The couple laughed as the blond tightly embraced him. Sitting up, the ex-General hugged him back. After a moment, they both stood.

"I thought you were in Junon," Cloud said, panting from his run.

"Even back in SOLDIER, you were always impatient about things, so I decided to come and escort you," Sephiroth chuckled.

Cloud smiled and claimed his lips. After a minute, the two started the journey towards the main ShinRa base. The road to their future had begun.


	5. Chapter 4: Encounter with Midgar Zolom

**Ch 4**

Sephiroth and Cloud travel together towards Junon.

Encounter with the Midgar Zolom and Turks

All afternoon, the two gentlemen walked across the Midgar plains. A gentle breeze blew across the grass, making the fields dance in its sway. Sephiroth's long silver hair flowed gently around him. Cloud was a little bit ahead, keeping look out for any monsters that tried to get in their way.

"Are you sure Junon's this way?" Cloud asked.

"Yes. We have to go through the Mythril Mines in order to reach the other side. The mines are not that easy to get lost in, but there are more monsters in there than out here, so we have to be alert when we get inside," Sephiroth nodded.

Cloud nodded in understanding as he shouldered his Buster Sword. Glancing back over his shoulder for a moment, he thought of Tifa and the others; they must be freaking out over his sudden disappearance. Surely he knew that they would be heading this direction pretty soon, seeing that Midgar is no longer an option. Sighing, he jogged to catch up to Sephiroth, who gained quite a bit of distance.

'Sorry, everyone... but, I have to do this,' he thought.

Passing by the Chocobo Farm, Cloud noticed quite a few of the large yellow birds wandering about in a large pen, chirping and squawking at one another. Smiling at the sight, he continued on. Monsters began popping up as they got closer to the mines and they hewn them down with ease. Not an ounce of magic was used for these creatures as they fell one by one.

"Annoying little pests..." Sephiroth growled as the creatures that now lay dead.

Wiping his blade of the monsters' blood, they continued on. Cloud sheathed his huge blade and caught up with the ex-General. Suddenly, they heard thunder rumbling overhead, indicating rain quickly approached.

"Looks like we gotta pick up our pace," Cloud said before hurrying ahead.

Sephiroth was on his heels as they ran across the now dark plains. They started to cross the murky waters of the Midgar Swamp, but suddenly, Sephiroth caught a large, slithering figure jetting under the surface... and it was heading for them!

"CLOUD, WATCH OUT!" he shouted to the blond.

Cloud whipped around, but he quickly snatched up the large figure's tail and lifted into the air. It was the dreaded guardian of the swamp, the Midgar Zolom. Cloud's sword was sticking up in the mud when he was picked up. The snake began squeezing him tightly, making the blond yell out in pain.

"Hold on!" Sephiroth darted across the water, Masamune unsheathed.

He leapt into the air, cutting at the snake's tail and releasing its captive. He caught the blond in one arm and gently placed him on the ground. Plucking his Buster Sword out from the mud, he faced the large beast glaring down at them. Nodding to each other, they circled the beast, hoping to confuse it. But, the Zolom swung its bleeding tail at the ex-General, who jumped away to avoid the hit. Cloud slashed at it from behind, earning a loud shriek from the water dweller. It swung around its tail again, hoping for retribution. The ex-SOLDIER dived out of the way just in time, but he was now partially covered in its blood.

"Yuck..." Cloud groaned, shaking most of it off.

He dove away again as the snake tried to take a bite out of him. Sephiroth ran up its back and as he flipped off its head, he slashed at its eyes, blinding it. The snake shrieked again as it now attacked wildly, hoping to find its prey somewhere close by. Seeing a tree close by, Sephiroth ran over to it. Smirking and placing two fingers in his lips, he whistled loudly. The snake whipped around, hearing the noise. Sniffing the air, it dove underneath the water and darted for him. Cloud could only watch as the snake came closer.

"That's it... come to me," Sephiroth said.

As it burst out of the water, ready to eat, Sephiroth jumped up once more and grabbing the head, he jammed it down on the sharp edge of the tree. The snake flailed about for a few seconds before becoming deathly still. Blood trickled down the bark of the tree. Cloud ran over to his lover and inspected his gruesome work. He shivered at the sight, but Sephiroth placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"Let me see your chest," he said.

Cloud pulled up his messy shirt and Sephiroth gingerly ran his fingers over his flesh, checking for any signs of anything bruised or broken. He suddenly used Cure on him just in case. The glow vanished seconds later and Cloud felt more energized.

"Thanks," he said.

Sephiroth smiled and kissed his cheek. Trekking into the mines, Cloud gazed around in awe at the beauty inside. Stones and chunks of mythril shined from a mysterious source of light. Outside, he could hear the storm pouring out rain and lightning flashing in the sky. Their footsteps echoed off the walls as they cautiously made their way through. Just as Sephiroth predicted, more monsters appeared and attacked the trespassers. Cloud, thanks to his newly acquired Enemy Skill Materia, learned a couple of abilities from the monsters they fought.

Seeing a light coming from a ledge as they came near to the end of the mines, they walked towards it.

"Well, well. So the rumors ARE true. Still alive I see, eh Sephiroth?"

Standing on that plateau was Tseng, the one who captured AVALANCHE back at the ShinRa building, smirking down at them. The two glared at the black haired male, but soon Reno and a new member, who was female and had short blonde hair, joined them.

"What do you guys want?" Cloud asked while laying a hand on his sword's hilt.

"President Rufus said for us to track you two down. And who knew you would be in here? And may I ask where you are going?" Tseng asked.

"That's none of your business! Why don't you get out of our way!" Cloud snapped, unsheathing his sword again.

"My, my. Don't we have a temper?" Reno smirked, drawing out his electro rod.

Sephiroth's left hand blazed, signifying that he was powering up a high level spell, while his right was on his weapon. "Do you have a death wish?" he hissed at them.

"The only death wish around here is yours!" Reno laughed.

"I'm guessing there's no other choice, then," Cloud glared.

"I believe you're correct," Sephiroth agreed, drawing his blade.

However, before the fight ensued, Tseng held up a hand, stopping all action. He listened to the conversation now taking place from the device in his ear.

"Looks like we need to fight another time. Sounds like AVALANCHE is heading this way as well. Consider yourselves lucky for today." Turning to the other two... "Reno, Elena, we're pulling out!"

"Yes, sir!" they both said before running out in different directions.

The two put away their swords while Sephiroth called off his magic that was forming earlier.

"I was right; Tifa and the others are coming this way, too. We better pick up our pace," Cloud said while climbing a root leading to the ledge.

Sephiroth followed him by jumping up onto the ledge and led the way out. It was still raining a little bit, so the ex-General used his jacket as an umbrella for the both of them. Cloud nodded in thanks as they trekked across the now wet fields. Thunder rumbled across the sky. A chilly wind nipped at Cloud's bare arms, making him shiver slightly.

"Hang in there, Cloud. We're not far from Junon," Sephiroth said.

Nodding, they pressed on. As the sun was setting, Cloud wished that they could stop somewhere. The rain had finally stopped and he was now a few feet behind Sephiroth thanks to the coldness settling around him. He was constantly blinking his eyes, trying to keep the sleep at bay. Sephiroth noticed him starting to lag behind him, and slowed his pace a bit for him to catch up. He knew that it would be much easier to carry him and let him sleep for a while, not to mention that faster.

Kneeling down on one knee, he said to him "Get on."

Cloud smiled in relief and climbing onto his lover's back, he wrapped his arms around him as Sephiroth continued.

"Thanks, Sephiroth," he said before finally falling asleep from exhaustion.

Sephiroth smiled at him over his shoulder before looking ahead. Junon was finally in sight after nearly three days of traveling. When they arrived, Cloud couldn't help but complain from the sudden smell that filled his nose as he awoke.

"Ugh, what's that smell? Underneath the plate isn't even this bad."

Sephiroth nodded in agreement as he placed him down on his feet. "That smell would be rotting fish coming from the shore, and no, it isn't as bad."

"Tch. It still stinks," Cloud said while pinching his nose shut with his hand.


	6. Chapter 5: Meeting and truth revealed

**Ch 5**

The two have finally arrived in Junon.

Meeting Jenova and truth revealed

Cloud suddenly spotted a newspaper machine and read what he could. When he finished, he headed back over to Sephiroth, who had been leaning against the wall in the shadows of an alleyway. He seemed to be waiting, seeing that he spotted something.

"Anything interesting?" Sephiroth asked.

He nodded. "The paper said that Rufus was going to in a parade in two days, here in Junon. What can we do until then?" Cloud replied.

Sephiroth pondered that for a moment. 'AVALANCHE will also be here in within two days.'

'_**Then it looks like that you have some**__** extra time.'**_Jenova's voice came to him.

_'Hello, M__other. Will you be showing yourself soon?'_ He was growing eager about his mother physically meeting Cloud.

"Sephiroth?" Cloud's voice brought him out of his thoughts.

He looked down at his questioning look. "Yes, dear Cloud?"

He smiled at him, something that he found he would never grow weary of. "Where to now?"

"To the hotel. It's not far from here. We'll wait for your 'friends' to arrive to make our next move," Sephiroth replied, stroking his blond locks.

"Sounds good to me," Cloud nodded before heading in the direction of the said hotel.

About two days later of enjoying each other's company, Sephiroth said that it was time to meet his mother. AVALANCHE would be arriving soon and he said that they might not have time later. As they down the darkened streets of Junon, Cloud kept pondering about the one they were about to meet.

Last night, he changed out of his messy and bloody clothes for a black muscle t-shirt and dark blue jeans and black combat boots. It was dark and not a soul was on the landing pad, especially this late at night. Sephiroth stopped near a pile of wooden crates.

"Stay right here. I'll go bring her," he said.

He went around the other side and moments later, he came back.

The creature that followed him was human-like. She looked to be in her late twenties. Her hair was straight silver that passed her butt and she had these red eyes that slightly frightened Cloud, but he dared not show it. She was beautiful, nonetheless, in her silver and black kimono.

"Cloud, this is my mother, Jenova. Mother, this is Cloud, the one I told you about," Sephiroth introduced.

"It is finally nice to meet you, Cloud. My son hasn't stopped talking about you," Jenova said sweetly.

Cloud bowed to her respectfully. "I heard about you, too. I saw you locked up in the ShinRa building. I didn't know that you at first, but I heard Sephiroth talking to you and it became clear," he replied.

"Cloud's not used to having voices in his head except for mine," Sephiroth said.

"Yeah, you can say that. It hurt, though, having not only one, but TWO in my head," Cloud said, running a hand through his spiked hair.

"I apologize. I was rather eager to hear from my son. Anyways, I hear you agreed to our plan, correct?" Jenova asked.

"Yeah. It took me awhile to think about, but after the Planet did... I can't forgive it. I'm not losing Sephiroth again, so I choose to be on his side," Cloud said with determination in his MAKO eyes.

Jenova smiled proudly at him and so did Sephiroth, who wrapped his arm around his shoulder and kissed the top of his head, making the blond blush.

"Thank you, Cloud. Now, you must get ready. I can feel AVALANCHE approaching Junon," Jenova nodded.

The two boys nodded before leaving the platform. Heading back to the hotel, they both stocked up on supplies before heading back towards the now starting parade. It wasn't long before they made it to the ship that would be heading to the sunny, yet hot Costa del Sol. Thanks to their training in SOLDIER, it was almost too easy as they snuck aboard, though Sephiroth did pull Cloud down one time when he heard someone coming.

It was a member of the crew, but Cloud knew better. He recognized Tifa in that outfit that she had come to dread by the frowning expression on her face. Behind her was an odd looking creature that was attempting to walk on its hind legs. He remembered him to be Red XIII from the ShinRa lab. Smirking at the sight, both guys had to suppress a laugh that threatened to come out. Poor Red...

Finally calming down, they snuck the rest of the way in. Sephiroth put a finger to his lips, indicating for him to stay quiet. Cloud nodded in understand, not saying a word. When they were gone, Sephiroth pulled him back up and they continued to a room off of the cargo area near the base of the stairs.

He closed the door behind them and they went to the back of the room. There was a doorway there that led to another lower level. They went down. Now all they had to do was wait until everyone was on the ship and they were out on open water.

Then, let the fun begin. Butterflies fluttered around in Cloud's stomach as he tried to calm himself down.

"Nervous?" Sephiroth asked.

"Yeah... I shouldn't be, though, but you can guess why," Cloud replied while sitting on the floor.

"Your friends are on. When they see us together, you can almost guess what their reaction will be. I am responsible for burning Nibelheim," Sephiroth said, sitting next to him.

"I don't care about the past anymore. All I care about... is being with you. Ever since I met you in SOLDIER, you were always everything to me, even though you didn't know it at first." Cloud suddenly blushed. "I still remember our first kiss," he said with a small smile.

Sephiroth chuckled. "You mean... this?" He claimed his lips in a gentle kiss.

Cloud melted once again under his touch. Just like how he remembered. He wrapped his around his lover, drawing him closer. Sephiroth deepened it by brushing his tongue across his lips, begging for entrance. Cloud allowed him in and their tongues danced around each other. Finally, they let go and that soft smile of Sephiroth's was still there. The blonde leaned against his chest as strong and gentle arms wrapped around him. This was what Cloud was looking forward to for all eternity... nothing the world and the two together.

After a moment, Sephiroth released him, deciding it was time to act. They were out far enough, so the time was now.

"Are you ready?" he asked Cloud.

Cloud nodded as the two stood to their feet. Sephiroth went to the floor above. Once there, he went into the cargo hold and spotted a patrolling guard. In a blink of an eye, he killed him and pulled the alarm. It would no doubt bring AVALANCHE running. He headed back for Cloud, who looked nervous again.

"It's going to be alright, Cloud. No matter what they say, they can't tear us apart," Sephiroth reassured, caressing his cheek.

Cloud nodded again and the two embraced once more before he took Cloud's hand and went to the floor above. The people who were on that floor were shocked by who they saw before them. The only one that seemed unfazed by it was Sephiroth. He kept his hold on Cloud, waiting for the others' reaction. The one who was most shocked this was Tifa, who had her hands over her dropped jaw and her wine hued eyes wide in horror.

"Cloud...?" she finally spoke after a moment.

"You lil' backstabbin' bastard! We trusted ya!" Barret shouted angrily.

Sephiroth glared at the burly man for his insult, but Cloud held him back. The elder man nodded in understanding and backed away slightly.

"I knew you would react like this. That's why I didn't tell you one part of my story, so I'm going to go ahead and tell you now... I fell in love with Sephiroth years back when I was in SOLDIER. The reason why I had to do what I did... is because I tried to save him," he said.

"I can't believe you, Cloud! You wanted to stop Sephiroth and now, you're on his side? Remember what you said about him burning down Nibelheim! This man's a monster! He killed my father, your mother and all the people we knew back then! Why would you still side with him!" Tifa yelled.

"BECAUSE OF WHAT THE PLANET DID!" Cloud suddenly screamed, tears of anger flowing down his face.

The gang was taken by surprise at his sudden outburst. Cloud's body shook with anger and sobs as he continued.

"The Planet took him away from me when I was trying to save him! For five damn years, I lived in the agony of that memory! I can never forgive what it did to me! For five years, I've had nightmares about it... the reason why I couldn't tell you was... I knew you would take offense to it, knowing what he did. But, I don't care about the past anymore." He looked up, tear streaks on his cheeks. "I'm going to help Sephiroth and if you try and stop us..." he unsheathed his sword and pointed it at the group. "... We won't hesitate to take you out," he hissed at them with a deadly glare.

That was final, and the tone of his voice said it. Sephiroth wrapped an arm around him and looked to AVALANCHE.

"Well, I think that settles that. Oh, and here's a little present for you."

Something dropped from the ceiling: Jenova-BIRTH. While AVALANCHE charged to fight the piece of Jenova, the two boys shot up into the balcony. Cloud's Buster Sword was still unsheathed. He looked to Sephiroth, silently asking for permission to fight. Smirking, the ex-General nodded. Glaring in determination, Cloud jumped from the balcony and attacked their new member, who was a ninja named Yuffie. Shuriken met sword as the two began to fight. Cloud had to admit, this girl was quick on her feet.

"A little help would be nice right now!" Yuffie called out as she parried another sword attack.

Hearing Barret barrel towards him, he jumped away, making the man crash into the petite girl, sending them both into the ground.

"Ow! Watch where you're going, you big oaf!" she shouted.

"Get out of the way next time!" Barret snapped back before heading back into the fray.

Cloud and Barret were now fighting each other, gun arm against the massive blade. The blond was much quicker than the AVALANCHE leader and was able to land more hits before Barret fired off a few rounds. Cloud dove out of the way and hid behind a steel beam. Calling upon his Enemy Skill Materia, he unleashed the Flamethrower skill he learned from the mines. It hit the burly man square in the chest, sending him crashing into the wall. Sephiroth smirked; Cloud had gotten much stronger since his disappearance. A sense of pride for his former student flared up within him. He couldn't have picked a better comrade to fight at his side.

'_**My son, where are you two?'**_

'_I'm still on the ship. Cloud is fighting AVALANCHE and is handling his own rather well. Do you want us to pull out?'_

'_**... Let him fight for a little while longer, then get off. We still have work to do.'**_

Sephiroth mentally nodded to her before cutting the connection. "Cloud, you've got a few more minutes!" he called to him.

Cloud nodded before jumping out from his hiding spot, Materia blazing. He spotted Tifa coming at him and shot off a Fire2 spell. She countered with an Ice spell and they canceled each other out. Cloud dodged each of her punches she threw and drove a kick to her side, sending her away. Red XIII leapt for him, but Cloud blocked him with the flat of his blade and with a slash, knocked him to the side. Looking to the balcony, he saw Sephiroth nod to him and he jumped up to meet him, knowing it was time to go. He threw out one last Flamethrower skill before the two disappeared through the roof.


	7. Chapter 6: The sadness of Corel

**Ch 6**

After facing AVALANCHE, the two arrive on the coast of Costal del Sol.

The sadness of Corel

"You did well, Cloud. You indeed have gotten stronger," Sephiroth commended Cloud when they were on the coast, only a few miles south from Costa del Sol.

Cloud smiled. "Thank you. I knew they were going to react like that, but... fighting my friends, the ones I knew since childhood." His smile vanished and he turned away. "I never imagined it would go that far. But, I never seen Tifa so angry with me. I knew they wouldn't understand what we are, what we have between us—"

"Hush now, Cloud," Sephiroth interrupted him, placing a finger to his lips.

"Sorry," Cloud apologized.

"There is no reason to apologize. I am rather pleased that you defended me and stood your ground. And for that, you will be rewarded later."

"You don't have to do that. The greatest reward that I could have is you."

His heart nearly melted at what he said. He grabbed him and pulled him in for a kiss. Cloud smiled against his lips as he wrapped his arms around Sephiroth, deepening it. Sephiroth's arms snaked around his waist, bringing him closer. After a moment, they broke apart. Cloud leaned against Sephiroth's chest, enjoying this moment. Sephiroth stroked his blonde hair, smiling softly.

"Come on, Cloud. We have much more traveling to do," he said.

"Got it. Where are we heading to now?" Cloud replied before following his lover.

"We're heading through Mt. Corel next," Sephiroth said.

They went up a rocky hillside and once in awhile, Cloud would lose his footing due to the loose gravel, but Sephiroth was there to catch him. Climbing the hill, they came to a bunch of train tracks.

"Watch your step around here. These tracks are very old," Sephiroth warned.

As they went across the tracks, a patch of them creaked underneath Cloud's weight. Hearing the creak several yards behind him, Sephiroth's eyes widened.

"Cloud, move!" he shouted.

But, it was too late; the tracks beneath the blond gave away and Cloud fell between the now big gap. He heard Cloud scream as he fell downwards.

"CLOUD, NO!" Sephiroth shouted.

Only the whisper of the wind answered him. No... he couldn't be gone. He closed his eyes in frustration; he let his love die just because he couldn't get to him fast enough.

"Cloud..." he whispered.

Suddenly...

"SEPHIROTH!"

His eyes widened. It couldn't be...! Then, the tiny figure of Cloud slowly made his way up the supports. Sephiroth heaved a huge sigh of relief; he was alright! Cloud became closer and closer slowly, but surely. Sephiroth reached a hand out and he pulled the blond onto the tracks. He embraced tightly, thoroughly relieved he was alive. Cloud wrapped his arms around him for reassurance.

"Gods, Cloud... you scared me. I thought you were..." Sephiroth trailed off.

"I thought I was a goner, too. But, on my way up, I picked up something. Check this out," Cloud said, pulling away.

Digging something out of his pocket, it was a Materia. Looking closer, Sephiroth recognized it.

"It's a Transform Materia," he said.

"Does it cause the effect Mini?" Cloud asked, recalling his studies in SOLDIER.

Sephiroth nodded and took the orb and placed it in his pocket. Helping Cloud to his feet, they crossed the rest of the tracks, careful of any other weak patches. Coming to a drawbridge, they saw that it was up. Looking around, they saw a little house on the upper tracks. Sephiroth volunteered to check it out and ran back the other way. Running on the upper tracks, he could hear his beloved cheer him on as he went. Smirking, he reached the small house and discovered a switch inside.

"Get ready, Cloud!" he called to him.

Pressing the switch, he heard the drawbridge lower and Cloud ran across the tracks while Sephiroth jumped down to follow him. They came across a long bridge and crossed it carefully as they felt it sway underneath their feet from the force of the wind. Going midway, they suddenly came across a fiery Bomb.

"Uh oh... if I remember from my training, these things are trouble," Cloud gulped.

"Let me handle it," Sephiroth stepped in front of Cloud, an Ice3 spell powering up in his hand.

The small creature darted for them, only to meet its end by the powerful spell Sephiroth suddenly casted. The creature was encased in a block of ice, unable to move anything but its eyes. Sephiroth smirked and with a snap of his fingers, the ice shattered, taking the monster with it. Cloud rolled his eyes.

"Showoff," he muttered.

Sephiroth only shrugged and they crossed the rest of the way. They finally came to a small, run down town of North Corel. What was left of Corel was tucked into a little hole on the mountain side. The people here were downright poor, just like the little town that they dwelled in. It was made of pieced together shacks and run down tents. The sun was just now setting.

Cloud began to feel sorry for these people as he looked around. "How did they get like this?" he asked, a sorrowful expression on his face.

"A reactor exploded here and ShinRa blamed it on them. After that... well..." Sephiroth trailed off, seeing Cloud mentally placing the pieces together.

"ShinRa... they're always ruining everything!" Cloud growled, his fists clenching.

He felt a tug on his shirt and he looked down to a little boy with dirt on his face and raggedy clothes look up at him with begging eyes. His black hair was a mess.

"Please, sir. Can you help me?" he asked in a timid tone.

Cloud knelt down so he was eye level with the little boy. "What's the matter?" he asked softly.

"It's my mommy. She's sick and I..." the boy began to cry. "I don't know what to do!" he whimpered.

Cloud looked up at Sephiroth and the silver haired man came over to them. He also knelt in front of the boy and wiped away his tears.

"Let's go take a look at her. Where do you live?" he asked.

The boy led the guys over to one of the tents. Ducking inside, they saw a woman with a cold cloth on her forehead. Her short brown hair was spread around her, some sticking to her sweaty face. Her breaths were shallow and ragged. She lay under a small blanket that barely covered her. Her eyes were closed, her face contorted in slight pain.

"Mommy, wake up. There are two guys here," the boy whispered while shaking his mother.

The woman slowly opened her eyes and Sephiroth recognized that color in her eyes; it was the color of MAKO. He sighed and shook his head.

"She has MAKO poisoning," he said gravely.

"Isn't that... deadly?" Cloud asked.

Sephiroth nodded, then turned to the boy. "How did she get like this?" he asked.

"I don't know. Yesterday, she was fine. She was doing my clothes and everything. When I woke up this morning... she wouldn't get up!" the boy cried again.

Cloud reached over the flipped the rag to the other cool side. Sephiroth knew if someone got a high dosage of MAKO, they wouldn't live for much longer. The two didn't know what to do. Usually, this kind of poisoning was untreatable. Suddenly, they heard the woman stop breathing and she became still.

"Mommy? Mommy! Wake up! MOMMY!" the boy cried.

He sobbed as he buried his head in her chest, muffling his cries. Cloud gave Sephiroth a sad look before leaving the tent first. Sephiroth followed and they saw some of the people crowding around the tent. Sephiroth shook his head at everyone, indicating that she had returned to the Lifestream. Some of the women present began to cry while the men tried to hold back their own tears as two of them went inside.

"We should go," Sephiroth whispered to Cloud.

Cloud nodded and the two headed out of the town, but not before Cloud casted one last sorrowful glance back at them. Leaving North Corel, they were back onto the wide open fields.

"How low can ShinRa sink? They're going to pay for all the hurt and misery they've caused to the people they victimized!" Cloud vowed, punching a fist into an open palm.

"They will, dear Cloud. They most certainly will. Right now, we have to focus on our task at hand," Sephiroth said, laying a hand on his shoulder.

Cloud nodded. It was getting late and the two decided to set up camp for the night. They started a small fire for warmth. Cloud snuggled underneath his sleeping bag, trying to stay warm. Sephiroth decided to keep watch during the night.

"... Sephiroth?" he heard Cloud say.

Walking over and sitting next to him, he smiled at him. "What is it?" he asked.

"... When we get the Black Materia, will that be it? Will everything fall into place, just like you predict?" Cloud said.

Sephiroth looked to the starry night sky, a smirk on his face. "It will. Everything will go smoothly once I claim the Black Materia. But, like I said, I'm going to let AVALANCHE claim it first," he replied.

"But, why do they need to get it first?" Cloud asked.

"The Black Materia cannot leave the Temple of the Ancients until a sacrifice has been made. Other than that, anyone who tries to take it by force... will be killed instantly by the temple's defense mechanism," Sephiroth explained.

"The Black Materia's THAT powerful?" Cloud gasped.

Sephiroth nodded. "Go to sleep now. We leave early in the morning," he said.

Cloud nodded and covered himself with the blanket. Slowly, his eyes drifted closed until he was fast asleep. Sephiroth looked over to the sleeping blond and smiled again. He looked so innocent when he was asleep. He started stroking his blond locks, humming that same tune he sang to him back in SOLDIER.


	8. Chapter 7: Not you again!

**Ch 7**

After leaving North Corel, Sephiroth and Cloud head towards Gongaga Village.

Not you again!

The next morning, the two awoke and packed up their things. Grabbing their swords, they started their journey towards their next destination. It was a quiet, sunny day with only a few clouds in the sky. A gentle breeze picked up, blowing the warm air around them in a soft caress, making their hair dance in its sway.

"I'm surprised we haven't run into any monsters yet," Cloud pointed out.

"You're right, but you shouldn't speak too soon. They're out there somewhere, waiting for us to cross their territory," Sephiroth replied.

Cloud nodded in understanding as he shouldered his Buster Sword. It had been a few days ever since he left AVALANCHE and joined with his long time lover. The two met back in SOLDIER when Cloud was just a nervous little Cadet. He found himself smiling at the memory of their first kiss, the piece of info that he left out when he was telling his story to the others. Sephiroth looked over and saw his smile.

"What are you thinking about?" he asked.

Cloud let out a short laugh. "Just memories from SOLDIER. Remember the first time we met?" he replied.

Sephiroth chuckled. "I do very clearly. You were literally shaking like a leaf," he said.

Suddenly, a loud screech came from above them and unknown claws snatched up the blond swordsman, making him drop his large broadsword, and proceeded to carry him off.

"SEPHIROTH!" Cloud screamed.

It was a Zu (AN: think of FFX-2), which was the size of a two story house. Sephiroth gave chase, unsheathing his Masamune and grabbing Cloud's blade while charging a Bolt 3 spell in his right hand. Cloud struggled within its huge claws as he tried to pry them off, but they dug deeper into his shoulders, making him yelp in pain.

"Alright, birdie... if you want to play that way" Somehow placing his hands on its legs, he screamed out "FIRE 3!"

A roar of flames covered the monstrous bird as it screeched in pain, making it release its prey. Cloud landed on the ground painfully and tumbled to a stop. Sephiroth caught up to him and used the basic Cure spell on him. Cloud nodded in thanks before taking his sword from Sephiroth as the bird crashed into the ground a few yards away. As they slowly walked towards it, the flames suddenly were dispersed and the Zu turned towards the guys.

"I thought I roasted that thing!" Cloud growled.

"You only succeeded in pissing it off," Sephiroth said, getting into his battle stance.

The Zu attempted to fly, but the damage on its wings was severe. Yet, that doesn't mean it couldn't still fight back. Cloud and Sephiroth rushed at it and dove to either side as the bird's jaws snapped at them. Cloud plucked his Ice materia from his Bronze Bangle and placed it into his sword, making it slightly iced over. Leaping into the air, he came down, blade first, into its back, earning another shriek of agony.

"Cloud, get out of the way!" he heard Sephiroth shout to him.

With a nod, he jumped off and dashed over to the silver haired warrior, who was preparing another spell. When he saw that Cloud was safely beside him, he unleashed it with a loud cry of...

"ULTIMA!"

Waves of green energy washed over the monstrous bird and reduced to nothing but dust. Cloud swung his blade a few time before sheathing while Sephiroth wore a smirk on his face.

_**Well done, you two **_said Jenova.

What shocked Cloud was that he could hear her as well now! Seeing the shocked expression, Sephiroth gave him a puzzled look and Cloud told him his concern.

"How come I can hear her now?" he asked.

_**I am allowing you to since you are traveling with my son. As for the others, they are trapped in Corel Prison for a crime they were wrongly accused of. **_

Cloud's eyes widened in horror; he heard about Corel Prison a few times. It was the nastiest, most downright unpleasant place to be. Thugs and murderers are said to live there, preying on other prisoners that look vulnerable. He shuddered at the thought of being down there. He just hoped that they can make it out somehow...

"Cloud, are you alright?" Sephiroth asked, bringing him out of his thoughts.

Cloud nodded, but still had that frown on his face. "I just remembered the things the soldiers said about Corel Prison. From what I was told, it makes the main prison back in SOLDIER look like a kiddie playground," he replied, shuddering again.

_I just hope their little setback doesn't mess up our plans _Sephiroth said to her.

_**It won't. They are strong for a little group. But... my main concern is that Ancient among them. Aerith. She is the Planet's last child and its only hope in stopping us from ascending to godhood. You two MUST stop her! **_

With that, her voice faded from their minds. Sephiroth had a serious look on his face as he thought about what Jenova had just said. If that girl is to successfully summon the Black Materia's polar opposite, then their plan was doomed. Sheathing his blade, he sighed.

"Let's keep moving, Cloud. We need to find another place to rest. I can sense more monsters coming from their hiding spots," he said before walking off.

Cloud quickly caught up and the two walked on. It was nearing sunset by the time they reached the river just past the Gold Saucer. But, something seemed off about it; the river was higher than usual. Cloud looked a little worried seeing the river's unusal height, but Sephiroth looked calm as he reached into a pocket of trenchcoat and pulled out, what looked like, a wooden 7-holed ocarina. Bringing the mouth piece to his lips, he began playing a little tune.

(AN: I am using Serenade of Water because I was listening to it while typing this. Wanted to add a touch of Legend of Zelda here for all you fans out there)

As he began playing, the water started to ripple a little at first as Cloud gazed out towards the disturbed surface. Suddenly, he saw an elegant silhouette gliding towards the shore. Sephiroth stopped playing as a female figure surfaced.

"Seryn, good to see you," he said to her.

Seryn, upon closer inspection, was a violet-tailed mermaid with long jet black hair and piercing stormy gray eyes that made the blond feel as if she's looking into his soul, which unnerved a little. Her skin was a little pale, but shone in the sunlight, giving her a glowing look.

"It has been awhile, Sephiroth. And who is this young human beside you?" she spoke in a soft, melodious voice.

"This is my lover, Cloud Strife. Cloud, this is Seryn. I met her while trying to regain my strength over the time I was gone. Ever since, she has become a worthy ally." Sephiroth wrapped an arm around Cloud's waist as he spoke. "Tell me, Seryn, why is the river so high?"

"Because of the rainstorm that has passed a few nights ago. It has been a little difficult to travel upriver. Plus, I will use the current level to slow down those who are pursuing you as we speak," Seryn replied.

"AVALANCHE..." Cloud muttered, his left hand clenching into a fist.

Sephiroth noticed this and tightened his grip on his waist in a comforting gesture. The mermaid nodded before turning back towards the river and opening her mouth, began singing in a beautiful, angelic, crystal clear voice. Cloud looked amazed as the song poured out from her. He only heard about the mermaids' different songs in fairytales and mythology, but this was the real deal. Then, the river around her began to calm and lower until it was to their knees. She stopped singing, but it remained the way so the boys could cross. Sephiroth nodded to Cloud, silently telling to trust her before going ahead. He was already halfway before Cloud got in and hurried after him.

"Thanks, Seryn," he said as he passed her.

"Good luck on your journey. I look forward to the new world you two will create," she nodded in acknowledgment.

Minutes later, Sephiroth waited on the other side for Cloud until the blond rejoined him. Nodding to the mermaid, she sang again and the river returned to its current state with a loud crash and a massive SPLASH! With a final wave and a soft smile, she dove back underneath and disappeared from sight.

"I guess she gave you that when you first met her, huh?" Cloud asked as they resumed their travel.

"Correct. I play it whenever I need her services. The only catch: it only works near any body of water. You see, she's more than a mermaid. She's a spirit siren, meaning she can appear in any body of water. From a small lake to a large ocean, it won't matter. Wherever I play this ocarina, she'll be there," Sephiroth explained.

Cloud was in awe at the info. Seeing Gongaga just over the horizon, there was nothing but open plains and waving green grass that danced in the breeze. A mischevious smirk appeared on the General's lips and looked over to the blond.

"Want to race?" he asked, catching the blond off guard for a moment.

Seeing the open space, Cloud smiled and nodded before racing ahead without warning. In mere seconds, it became a foot race with Sephiroth keeping with Cloud. It was good to see his young love smile once in awhile. It always brought out the little Cadet he knew back in SOLDIER. Nearing the small village, they slowed to a stop, both panting heavily. As far as they know, it was a tie and they left it at that. Coming to a small, secluded path, they picked up on distant voices that got louder as they approached. Sephiroth stopped Cloud with a staying arm and both listened in. Those voices belonged to Reno and Rude of The Turks.

"Hey, Rude. Who do you like?" asked the redheaded Turk.

Rude turned away out of, what looked like, embarrassment. Reno didn't let up however. "What are you getting embarrassed about? Come on! Who do you like?" he asked again.

After a moment, Rude spoke, but spoke quietly. "... Tifa," he answered.

This caught not only Reno by surprise, but Sephiroth and Cloud as well.

_I can't imagine Tifa's reaction if she heard that _Cloud thought.

_Neither can I _Sephiroth agreed.

"Hmmm, that's a tough one. But, poor Elena. She... you..." Reno honestly thought he liked the young blonde Turk.

Reno shook his head. "No, she likes Tseng," he said.

Reno's face took on an expression of shock. "I never knew that! But, Tseng likes that Ancient," he gasped.

From their hiding spot, Sephiroth coughed lightly to cover up a snicker while Cloud raised an eyebrow.

"It's so stupid!"

Both boys whipped around in surprise at the sound of a female voice. It was Elena. She continued. "They always talk about who they like or don't like! But, Tseng is different..." But suddenly, she remembered who EXACTLY she was talking to! "Ah! Oh no!"

Elena ran from their hiding spot, catching the attention of the two male Turks. "They're here! They're really here!"

"Then, it's time," Reno nodded.

"I'll report to Tseng! We're counting on you!" Elena said before rushing off in another direction.

Upon her exit, Cloud and Sephiroth stepped out from their hiding place and into full view, glaring down the Turks. Reno smirked as he took out his electro-rod while Rude cracked his knuckles.

"It's been awhile, you two. Too bad we didn't finish our business back in the Mythril Mines." Reno turned to the blond. "How come you're traveling with Sephiroth, huh? I thought you were with those group of idiots," he inquired.

"I have my own reasons for being with Sephiroth. One of them is to get revenge for all the hell the Planet put me through for five damn years!" Cloud growled, unsheathing his Buster Sword.

Sephiroth took out his ever deadly Masamune, sensing a fight coming up. "It would be in your best interest to get out of our way. We're not in the mood to play with weaklings like yourselves," he said in a dangerously calm tone, getting into his famous battle stance.

"Weaklings! I'll show you weakling!" Reno sputtered in anger before charging head on towards the ex-General.

Cloud darted in front of Sephiroth and rod clashed with the huge broadsword and the fight began. Rude rushed for Sephiroth, who with flawless grace, spun out of the way and slashed Rude diagonally in the back, leaving a three foot diagonal deep cut. The blood began soaking through Rude's shirt as he stumbled forwards from being thrown off balance by the sudden dodge. Reno swung his rod repeatedly, the metal crackling with live electricity, but Cloud successfully parried each of his attacks before spinning around and slashing his chest. Blood sprayed from his chest as the redhead staggered backwards from the blow, but quickly used a Cure spell and the gash was healed. Before he could heal his partner...

"Reflect!" called out Sephiroth, casting the spell over Rude.

Reno could only watch as his spell intended for Rude was bounced towards Sephiroth, curing him instead. Not that Sephiroth needed it, but it, at least, gave him a little energy boost. Rude fell to one knee as the pain took its toll on him.

"Hey Sephiroth, think we can speed things up a little?" Cloud asked as he rejoined his lover's side.

"I don't see why not" Sephiroth nodded before activating another spell. "Haste!"

The speed spell quickly covered the two warriors of Jenova and with a nod to each other, sped back towards the Turks. But, instead of attacking, they began running in circles around them, making them nothing but blurs and greatly confusing them.

"What the hell!" Reno shouted, clearly flabbergasted.

Winking at Sephiroth, Cloud jumped into the air, outline glowing in a rainbow aura. His Limit Break was now ready for usage. Seeing this, Sephiroth quickly got out of the way as the blond shouted out the name of his Limit Break.

"STARS, HEED MY CALL AND RAIN DOWN ON MY OPPONENTS! **METEORAIN!**"

Swinging his blade down diagonally, a shower of Meteors crashed into the Turks, the force of the attack knocking them backwards several yards, before slamming into the ground with a loud, bone-crunching THUD! Cloud landed back on the ground, using his blade for support due to energy exhaustion. When the dust cleared, both Turks were unconscious. Cloud managed a weary smile.

"Yeah... you're weaklings," he panted.

Sephiroth sheathed his Masamune and walked over to the tired blond. Cloud took his sword out of the ground and as soon as he did, his legs failed to give out. Seeing he was looking ready to collapse, Sephiroth quickly caught him in his arms.

"... S-Sorry," Cloud panted.

"That was a powerful Limit Break and indeed, would drain you. Come, let's find a place to rest for the night. I'm sure there's one in the village," Sephiroth said before scooping him up and carrying him in the direction of the small quiet town.


	9. Chapter 8: A blast from the past

**Ch 8**

Sephiroth and Cloud make it into Gongaga Village after a brief fight with the Turks

A blast from the past

The two warriors arrived in the small, quiet village of Gongaga. A worn out Cloud was being carried in Sephiroth's arms after unleashing a powerful Limit Break known as Meteorain. His Buster Sword was attached to Sephiroth's back.

"Cloud, we're here," the silver haired ex-General said softly to the young blond.

Cloud's eyes slowly opened and observed the village that came into view. A small, tired smile curled his lips.

"... Finally..." he whispered, voice laced with fatigue.

Sephiroth walked towards the inn to the right. A little girl, who looked about eight with short black hair and innocent hazel eyes, happened to be walking outside when she caught sight of the two and ran up to them. "Oh my gosh! Is he ok?" she asked.

"We just need a place to stay," Sephiroth replied to her.

"Yup! We have lots of rooms at my daddy's inn! Follow me!" she chirped before running back towards the inn, Sephiroth following behind feet away.

Once at the inn, she opened the door and let the two in before closing the door behind them. "Daddy! We have guests!" she called out, leaving the warriors behind as she dashed towards the back.

An elder man, who looked about to be in his late sixties with short gray hair, slowly appeared, using a cane. "Oh, what do we have here?" He looked to the sleeping blond. "My goodness. What's wrong with your friend there? He's out cold like a bear during winter hibernation," he gasped.

"We ran into some trouble and he used up a lot of his strength. Are there any rooms for us?" Sephiroth said.

"Of course we do! Ho ho ho ho! My granddaughter can be sure handy around here, can she? Come on to the back rooms and let's get your beds ready," the elder man smiled.

Sephiroth nodded in thanks before following him to their room. Getting settled in a few minutes later, Cloud was laid on the right bed while Sephiroth sat beside him, stroking his hair. Their swords were placed in a corner.

"It's a good thing we found this place, huh?" he said softly.

Cloud stirred and looked up at his lover with sleepy eyes. He nodded slowly while managing a groggy smile.

"... Seph... thank you," he whispered.

"For what, Cloud?" Sephiroth asked, cocking his head to the left a little in confusion.

"... For taking me with you. For not leaving me alone again," Cloud said, tears of happiness swelling in his eyes.

Sephiroth smiled gently once again before placing a kiss on the blond's lips and pulled away with a quiet smack. "You're welcome. I couldn't have chose a better person to rule at my side when we take this Planet. Once we've done that, it'll be just us for all eternity," he said, taking his lover's hand and gripping it gently for emphasis.

Cloud nodded again before succumbing to sleep once again. Sephiroth kissed his forehead before getting off the bed and shutting off the light and exiting the room.

"How is he?" asked the little girl as Sephiroth entered the main room.

"He's alright, but he's sleeping right now," Sephiroth replied.

"I won't bother him, I promise," the little girl grinned.

Sephiroth nodded before heading outside and using his abilities, jumped onto the roof and sat down. He gazed to the slowly darkening horizon as a gentle breeze kicked up, making his hair dance slightly in its sway. The sun was now only a sliver as it disappeared and prepared to make way for the night that was to come. His thoughts traveled to his and Cloud's upcoming goal and a smirk graced his lips as he thought about how close they were getting to obtaining the Black Materia.

'And there would be nothing that AVALANCHE could do about it. Then again, there's that Ancient that's traveling with them. Mother said earlier today that she is a threat to our plans. If she manages to cast Holy, then we're finished! She HAS to be stopped! After she's gone, we can focus on terminating AVALANCHE. When we were on the ship, he had no trouble fighting against them back on the ship, even though he did join them first in the beginning. Cloud, indeed, has grown stronger since we last met five years ago. I can only imagine his power when he joins with the Planet's energy. He would be unstoppable!' he remembered.

"Sephiroth?"

Sephiroth looked behind to see Cloud climbing onto the roof. "You should be in bed. Your strength-"

"I know, but I just wanted to step outside for awhile. It's not going to hurt me in the slightest," Cloud cut him off before sitting down beside him.

Sephiroth sighed; why was always so stubborn? It reminded him of... he mentally trailed off before he could complete it.

"Sure is a nice night out. Reminds me of that time back in Nibelheim," he heard Cloud say as he laid on his back with his hands behind his head.

"What time?" Sephiroth asked in curiousity.

Cloud looked up at the stars as a certain memory played back in his mind. "When Tifa and I were teens, we met one night at the old well. Remember it?" he asked.

Sephiroth nodded. " I do. The other kids used to play around it as well," he replied.

"Well, like I said, we met out there one night. I remember it was kind of chilly. She finally showed after a little bit and we just started talking. I told her that I was leaving town for Midgar to join up with SOLDIER. She told me in return that all of the boys in Nibelheim were leaving as well." Cloud smiled at him. "Then, I told her I wanted to be just like you. That night, she wanted me to promise her that I would save her if she was in danger. Heh... that's just a memory now," he said.

Sephiroth laid down on his side, facing Cloud, and propped his head on his hand. "A memory, huh? Didn't you save her back then when I-"

"Sephiroth, I don't want to think about it. That part... (sigh) I just want to forget..." Cloud cut him off again.

The silver haired warrior let out a sigh of his own. He had a good reason to why he wanted it to be just a memory; he was the one that hurt Tifa. He couldn't blame Cloud.

"Hey... will we have to go through Nibelheim sometime?" he asked after a moment.

"Or whatever's left of the town, but maybe," Sephiroth replied.

_**My son, Cloud, I have news **_came Jenova's voice in their minds.

_What is it, Mother? _Sephiroth replied while Cloud listened in.

_**I have news regarding AVALANCHE. They have escaped Corel Prison, but they are heading your way! You must leave at once! **_

_Very well, Mother, but Cloud's strength is not 100%. We'll do what we can. _

Jenova's presence left their minds and the two warriors hopped back down to the ground and hurried inside. Hurrying back to their rooms, they grabbed their weapons.

"Where are you going?" asked the little girl.

"We have to leave. We're in a hurry," Cloud replied while strapping his Buster Sword to his back.

"Will you be alright until we find another place to rest?" Sephiroth asked.

"Yeah. Better to have most of my strength than none at all," Cloud nodded.

"Be careful there, ok? Lots of monsters come out at night," the little girl said with a smile.

The guys nodded before Cloud pulled out 80 gil and left it on the counter. "Tell your grandfather thank you," he said before following Sephiroth out the door and into the night.

Taking a left, they were back out on the open fields. As they got farther from the small, village, they could faintly make out a pair of headlights coming from AVALANCHE's new vehicle, the Buggy. The two continued to run, blending into the darkness.

"That was a close call," Cloud said after they got between Gongaga and Cosmo Canyon.

"If they were to catch us, would you have been able to fight them?" Sephiroth asked as they slowed to a walk.

"Yeah. I would've been ok. Just that Limit Break took out most of my power during our fight with the Turks," Cloud nodded again.

The night wore on into the next day as the two warriors of Jenova continued their way, passing through the canyons. Again, they ran into some monsters along the way, but dispatched them quickly and continued on their way. Cloud shouldered his sword as they killed off two more monsters.

"I thought training back in SOLDIER was harsh. This is making that look like kid's stuff," he said as they left behind corpses of the dead creatures.

Sephiroth scoffed. "And you barely make it through training almost all of the time," he said with a smirk.

"Hey, at least I get through it!" Cloud snapped, playfully his lover in the arm.

"On your hands and knees, panting like a dog," Sephiroth chuckled.

Cloud shot him a playful glare, but smiled and shrugged it off before catching up to the man in front. It would take them a day and a half to finally get out of the canyons and finally get back out to the open area. The following day...

"Sephiroth, wasn't this... supposed to be gone?"

Both men were staring wide-eyed at what they saw.

Nibelheim, just like it was five years ago before that fateful day, yet it didn't feel like the old Nibelheim. Something just didn't feel right about this.

"I thought this was burned to the ground," Cloud breathed as they slowly walked into the seemingly deserted town.

"I know. Come on, let's get inside the manor. We can figure this out later," Sephiroth said before slightly walking ahead of them.

As Cloud came to the town square, he suddenly felt his head become immersed in great pain. He clutched it as memories of that night flew back to him.

**Flashback**

_Fire all around him. Smoke choking his lungs._

_People screaming out in terror or agony. Blood and bodies of citizens dying or already dead. _

_"No... no, stay back! GAAAH!" _

_Cloud looked over and saw a man being cut down by a certain blade. His eyes widened. _

_"SEPHIROTH, STOP IT!" he screamed out, tears springing to his eyes. _

_He couldn't believe it. Sephiroth, the man he loved, had gone insane. He didn't want to believe this was real, but the searing heat and the death shouts denied him of that illusion. _

_The silver haired General looked up at him, a deranged look in his eyes and a sadistic smile on his face, before turning and disappearing from view. _

_"NO!" _

**End Flashback **

"No... please stop!" Cloud pleaded.

"Cloud! Cloud, snap out of it!"

That was all he heard before blacking out, his name faintly ringing in his ears.


	10. Chapter 9: The ExTurk

**Ch 9**

Cloud collapses after a brief, yet painful trip down memory lane.

The Ex-Turk

_"I trusted you..."_

_"No! You're not the Sephiroth I used to know!"_

Cloud bolted up with a shout, a cold sweat running down his face. A gentle hand was placed on his shoulder, making him jump a little and turned to face someone he never seen before. He wore a red bandana around his forehead to keep his bangs out of his face, crimson eyes, a black jumpsuit under a red tattered cape, golden pointed shoes and a gold gauntlet on his right arm.

"It's alright. Take it easy," he said in a dark, low voice.

Cloud took a few deep breaths to calm his racing heart. "Where am I?" he asked as he took in his new surroundings.

"Inside ShinRa Manor. Sephiroth brought you in after you suddenly collapsed," the man replied, removing his human hand from Cloud's shoulder.

"Sephiroth? How do you-"

"We met earlier. After he left you here, he went downstairs to the library."

**Flashback**

_Sephiroth set the unconscious blond in the bed and pulled a blanket up to his chest. A worried expression was on his face as he looked down at him. _

_"The memories..." he muttered to himself, clenching his hands into fists. _

_Suddenly, he heard a gun cock behind him and froze. _

_"I knew I sensed someone here. Who are you?" _

_Sephiroth whipped around, a hand on Masamune's hilt while his other powered up a spell. "What's it to you? And I can ask the same thing to you," he said lowly, putting on his warrior face. _

_"Are you perhaps... Sephiroth?" _

_"How do you know who I am!" Sephiroth snapped, his grip on his sword tightening._

_The man stood there for a moment before lowering his gun. "I've heard about you. Do you know a man named Hojo?" he asked. _

_Hojo. That name burned in Sephiroth's mind like a permanent scar. He was the one who made him what he is now. "I more than know him. I DESPISE him! He was responsible for what he did to me! He plagues my memories, even now," he replied, removing his hand from his deadly blade. _

_The man holstered his weapon before looking over to Cloud, who was unconscious. "What happened to him?" he asked as he walked into the room. _

_Sephiroth looked back at his lover. "He just collapsed all of a sudden, but he said about 'making it stop'. I think what happened five years ago is coming back to him," he said, his face changing back to worry. _

_The man now stood at his bedside. "What DID happen five years ago?" he asked. _

**End Flashback**

"He told me of Nibelheim's burning. And he also told me something else as well," the man said.

**Flashback**

_Sephiroth sat beside Cloud on the bed, stroking his blond hair. "... I sense you have many sorrowful memories yourself. It's in your eyes. Tell me, if there was a way to purge yourself of them, would you take it? Would you seize the opportunity to wash away all the unhappiness and pain you've left in your life? Would you like to start over?" he asked. _

_The red clad man pondered this. It was true; if there WAS a way to purge him of his past sins, he would definetely take it. Every single day he slept, he dreamt of nothing but... _

_'... Lucrecia.'_

_"But how? 30 years I slept, I hoped to atone for them, yet..." the man trailed off. _

_Sephiroth smirked at him. "First, what is your name?" he asked. _

_"... Vincent. Vincent Valentine, formerly of the Turks." _

_"Listen well, then, Vincent, for what I am about to tell you will not purge you of your sadness, but give you a new life..." thus, Sephiroth began his the telling of his plan._

**End Flashback**

"So, he told you, huh?" Cloud asked.

Vincent only nodded in reply.

"Are you going to refuse?"

Vincent stayed silent for a moment. "... May I think about it for awhile? In the meantime, you may go see Sephiroth," he said.

Cloud nodded and swung his legs over the side of the bed and left the room. Crossing the landing, he went towards the said room. Behind a brick wall was a wooden staircase. Taking a deep breath, he jumped down and landed on the ground within seconds. He walked down the dimly lit tunnel towards a light at the end. Opening the cracked door, he poked his head in.

"Sephiroth?" he called out.

"I'm in here, Cloud!" came the reply from the very back.

Cloud smiled and stepped inside into the library. He remembered this place, for this was where Sephiroth most of his days when they were in SOLDIER. He heard a chair being moved and Sephiroth suddenly from the back. Grinning, he walked over and pulled the blond into an embrace. Cloud returned it and kissed him on the lips.

"How are you feeling?" Sephiroth asked as they pulled away.

"I'm ok. I see you met Vincent and he's thinking about what you said while I was out," Cloud replied with a nod.

Sephiroth nodded in return before going to the back again with Cloud following. "If he does agree, he would make a very powerful ally. Inside of him... are various demons that were created by Hojo, including one in particular... Chaos, the deity of death. I found and was reading something earlier in one of the journals I came across and there was a legend that went like this..."

'_Soul wrought of terra corrupt, quelling impurity, purging the stream... to beckon forth an ultimate fate. Behold mighty Chaos, Omega's squire to the lofty heavens_'.

Cloud was in awe at what he just heard by the time it was finished.

"Here" Sephiroth took off the desk a partially worn out tan journal. "This is where I found it," he said, giving it to Cloud.

Cloud took it and began reading it. The pages themselves looked worn out, but he did come across a few legible sentences, one of them being the aforementioned passage. "I wonder who this belonged to?" he wondered out loud.

"I don't know, but besides that, I found lots of other information," Sephiroth said, stroking his chin in thought.

Before Cloud ask what kind of info, Vincent appeared in the doorway. "You got company. Friends of yours?" he asked.

"Not really. More like pests," Sephiroth replied, his face hardening into a glare as they exited the library and headed back up the wooden staircase.

They came to the top of the landing and saw that AVALANCHE had arrived! Maybe the two back at the inn at Gongaga tipped them off somehow.

"Well, well, what a surprise. I thought we left you behind," Sephiroth smirked at the group that entered.

"Sephiroth, what are you doing here!" Tifa shouted.

"Just to see if we need to pick up a few things I may have left behind. Seeing that we don't, we were just taking our leave, right Cloud?" Sephiroth replied, looking at the blond, who nodded, not taking his gaze off the gang.

"Cloud, I still can't believe you're with him! I trusted you!" Tifa growled, hands tightening into fists.

"We already went over this back on the ship. The Planet wronged me by making me suffer for five years! I knew you wouldn't understand what I went through, if I even did tell you. That's why I'm siding with Sephiroth and nothing you can say or do will make me change my mind!" Cloud snapped, unsheathing and pointing his sword at her for emphasis.

"You lil' backstabber! Shut yer hole!" Barret shouted, aiming his gun arm and firing.

Sephiroth and Vincent jumped away from the gunfire while Cloud parried the bullets with his sword. Vincent drew Cereberus and Sephiroth unsheathed his Masamune and got behind the group.

"They're the ones trying to stop us, Vincent. They want us to fail. Are going to let them take away the opportunity in front of you?" Sephiroth said to Vincent.

"Oh give it a rest!" Yuffie shouted, throwing her shuriken at Sephiroth.

Vincent, to Sephiroth's surprise, stepped in front of him and batted away the shuriken with his gauntlet arm. That act alone gave Sephiroth the answer he wanted. He and Cloud had just gained an ally. The shuriken soared through the air and planted itself high on the left wall, out of her reach.

"Awww, that was my favorite one!" the kunoichi from Wutai whined.

Soon, it turned into a full-out brawl; Sephiroth was focusing on Barret, Cloud went for Yuffie and Vincent took on Tifa. The clanging of weapons and bullets flying quickly shattered the quiet mansion.

Shells litered the ground around Barret's feet as he tried to nail the speedy Jenova swordsman, but he proved to be too fast as Sephiroth dodged and sliced the rapid fire bullets.

"Stand still, will ya!" Barret shouted in anger.

"No thanks," Sephiroth smirked in reply before closing in quickly and landing a few slashes, followed by a roundhouse kick that sent the burly man flying and slamming into the wall behind him.

Yuffie had finally retrieved her shuriken and got back into the fight. Hers and Cloud clashed again and again, movements almost a blur to the other combantants. After awhile, she began to wear out, allowing Cloud to get in a few hits before with one might swing, sent her crashing completely through one of the wooden pillars that supported the balcony. She yelled in pain as she smashed into the wooden floor and rolled to a stop. Cuts and gashes riddled most of her body.

"What a joke. And you call yourself a ninja?" Cloud scoffed, shouldering his sword.

Yuffie attempted to glare at him, but she collapsed onto the floor and blacked out.

Tifa wasn't fairing any much better than the others. None of her punches could land on the flexible and deadly accurate gunslinger. Her left leg and right arm already suffered gunshot wounds, but she pushed through the stinging pain. Determination burned in her wine hued eyes as she picked up her pace, hoping to catch Vincent off guard, but he wasn't falling for it. When she went for a high kick to his head, he caught it with his hand and gripping onto it, slung her into the floor hard, creating a very shallow crater.

All three fighters of AVALANCHE were either knocked out or groaning in pain as the fight came to an end.

"How pathetic... to hope that you have a chance against us," Sephiroth chuckled darkly.

Cloud sheathed his sword and Vincent holstered his gun. "Guess we better get out of here, huh? Who knows when the others are coming," Cloud said.

Sephiroth nodded before turning to Vincent. The red eyed ex-Turk stared at them for a moment before nodding. "Yes, we should get going. Where to first?" he asked.

Sephiroth closed his eyes for a moment, contacting Jenova about their new ally and inquired about their future plans. After a moment, he opened them with a smirk. "We're heading to the Temple of the Ancients," he said.


	11. Chapter 10: The siren and the demon

**Ch 10**

With Vincent on their side, the trio head towards the Temple of the Ancients, once again meeting up with Seryn. However, when she meets Vincent...

The siren and the demon

The trio made their way across the great land of Gaia, their destination: the Temple of the Ancients.

"So, AVALANCHE has been tailing you," Vincent said while they chatted.

"Ever since I left Kalm and joined up with Sephiroth halfway to the Mythril Mines. The real reason they're chasing us is because of my betrayal. I already told them why I'm doing this, but I'll give you part of my reason. Five years ago, Sephiroth and I were together when I was in SOLDIER. Whenever I was in danger, he would always come and save me, but there was one time I saved HIM... well... at least, I tried to." Cloud took a deep breath and let it out slow to try and calm the sadness that started to build again. "That's all in the past now." He smiled up at Sephiroth. "We're back together and that's all that matters to me," he said, slipping a hand into Sephiroth's gloved one.

Vincent nodded in understanding before speaking again. "But still... why do this, then? You have Sephiroth back. Shouldn't it be enough?" he asked.

An angered look came across the blond's face as he shook his head no. "No... it made me suffer for those five years. Every night, I dreamed of that day I..." he trailed off as his hands clenched into fists. "... I've had it with it. There's no way I'm letting the Planet seperate us again." He turned to the crimson eyed gunslinger. "That's why I'm doing this. And I'll - no - WE'LL make sure AVALANCHE doesn't stand in our way any longer. Tifa may think I was manipulated into this, but she's wrong," he vowed.

Sephiroth wrapped a comforting arm around Cloud. "We will, love. We will," he assured.

"But what about Hojo? Will we still go after him?" Vincent asked.

Sephiroth nodded towards him. "Yes. We'll still go after him. Once we get what we need to complete our mission," he replied.

Vincent's human hand clenched into a fist. 'And once I get my hands on him... he's going to wish he never made me into what I am now,' he thought.

Coming to one of the two major rivers they had to cross, Sephiroth pulled out his ocarina and began playing the same melody that was used to summon the spirit siren. After he stopping playing, the beautiful figure of Seryn surfaced. Her eyes traveled towards Vincent and a slight blush creeped across her cheeks.

"A new ally, Sephiroth?" she asked, not taking her eyes off Vincent, who just stared awe at the gorgeous female in the water.

Sephiroth smirked, noticing how the two were staring at each other while Cloud stifled his oncoming snicker behind a cough. "Yes. This is Vincent Valentine. We met in Nibelheim. Vincent, this is Seryn. She's a spirit siren that has aided me a couple of years ago," he nodded.

"... There's something different about you, Vincent Valentine. There's a certain aura about you..." Vincent suddenly turned away. "Oh no, there's nothing to be ashamed of! As a spirit siren, I can sense a human aura and know if they're good or evil. Though it is mostly covered in shadows and blood of your past, I can tell you're a good person," Seryn spoke in that soft, melodious voice.

Vincent slowly turned back towards her and saw a sincere smile on her lips. Walking towards the edge, he knelt down on one knee so he was level with her. "Seryn... for 30 years I slept, trying to atone for my sins of the past. To this day, I'm still haunted by them. It's been... difficult in trying to move on. I don't even know where to start," he said.

Her hand gently took his human one. "You may think that most sins can't be atoned for, but they can be in more ways than one. If you ever need help, Cloud and Sephiroth, along with myself will be there for you. Sins CAN be forgiven," she said.

With that, she slid back into the water. She began singing and the water parted for them, allowing the boys to cross.

"Seryn, go upriver and meet us there. We're heading for the temple," Sephiroth said to her.

"I understand," Seryn replied with a brief nod.

When the trio crossed, the water came back with a mighty splash and Seryn disappeared from sight, already heading upriver. Vincent began to follow them, but gave one last look at the now raging river, thinking on the spirit siren's words.

_You may think that most sins can't be atoned for, but they can be in more ways than one. If you ever need help, Cloud and Sephiroth, along with myself will be there for you. Sins CAN be forgiven._

"Vincent!" The black haired male was snapped out of his thoughts and turned towards the other two, Cloud waving him over. "Come on!"

Vincent jogged to catch up and fell in step with them. Suddenly, they heard a loud roar coming from the skies and looking up, there flew a dark green Dragon, looking a little pissed off. The three drew their weapons and dove out of the way as the huge beast swooped down at them. Vincent shot off round after round, each piercing into the hard scales of the Dragon.

"There's no way I'm getting carried off again by a monster!" Cloud growled as he powered an Ice3 spell and unleashed it.

A barrage of ice crystals nailed it, two piercing its wings. The Dragon flapped hard to stay up, but it soon plummeted back down to the ground with a loud crash. As it slowly got up, Sephiroth darted straight for it and leaping high into the air, slashed it behind the neck. Vincent and Cloud ran up its back and jumping onto its head, they hung as the Dragon swung its massive head back and forth, trying to throw off the two warriors. Out of nowhere, another roar sounded and a second Dragon flew down, hearing the distress cry from its friend.

"I'll handle the second one! Finish off that one!" Sephiroth said before running towards the incoming mythical monster.

Vincent wasted no time in firing several shots directly into its skull while Cloud stabbed the front of its neck. They leapt away as the monster fell to the ground, dead.

"Let's go help Sephiroth!" Cloud said, earning a nod from his new teammate before the two rushed in the direction of the second fight.

By the time they got there, the second Dragon was already down, thanks to a direct stab to the brain before his head was lopped off, and Sephiroth was wiping off his blade. "You two alright?" he asked as they came over.

"Yeah. But, those Dragons live in Mt. Nibel. What would cause them to attack us?" Cloud replied, looking between the two dead beasts.

"Do you think something in their territory made them move?" Vincent offered.

"Maybe. I'm betting it was them. They must going through Mt. Nibel right now" Sephiroth scoffed. "They must think that we went through there and are probably looking for us," he smirked, looking in the said direction.

"We should get moving, then. If they're up in Mt. Nibel, then that'll give us a huge headstart," Cloud said, sheathing his Buster Sword.

Crossing the canyons again took two days and they camped out at the edge the following night. Vincent and Sephiroth caught some small animals earlier and roasted them over the fire. Vincent had taken off his cape to serve as a blanket for when he was ready to go to sleep. As they waited, they began to talk again.

"So, Vincent. You said that you were with the Turks once. What was it like?" Cloud asked out of curiousity.

Vincent was silent for a moment before looking to the starry night sky. "The Turks... together, we were like family. We supported one another and whenever one was in need, we all answer. There was a big group of us. Even Tseng was one back in the day. Speaking of Tseng, have you ran into him or any of the other Turks?" he said.

"We did... twice. Once in the mines and another near Gongaga Village. We saw Tseng in the mines and ran into Reno and Rude at the village," Sephiroth replied.

"Three times for me. I met Reno when I met Aerith. He wanted to capture her because she was the last Ancient. She's been avoiding them ever since she was young," Cloud said.

'We also have to stop her if we are to have a future,' Sephiroth thought, looking up to the dark horizon.

"Seph? You ok?" Cloud asked, noticing the silver haired male's faraway gaze.

He turned back to them and nodded. "Sorry, I was just thinking," he replied.

Cloud held back a yawn. "It's getting pretty late. I'm going to get some sleep," he said as he set up his sleeping blanket and slid inside.

"Goodnight, Cloud," the two guys said.

The blond nodded before drifting off to sleep. It became quiet for a moment except for the crackling of the fire and the crickets playing their daily night songs somewhere. Vincent looked over at Cloud, then back at Sephiroth.

"You trully love him, don't you?" he asked.

"... My heart will always belong to him, no matter what. Every day I recooperated, I couldn't help but think about the pain and sorrow Cloud was feeling. You see, a certain event happened at Nibelheim when I went there with him. I learned the truth of what I really was... and it was all because of one certain man. I went mad at the knowledge I recently gained. It was because of his actions that snapped me out of my insanity. From there on, I promised to make it up to him. I can't bear it if something happened to him," Sephiroth replied.

"I see... you want to protect him," Vincent said.

"I do, after all the hell he's been through. I would give my life for him if I have to," Sephiroth nodded before gently laying on Cloud's shoulder.

Vincent threw another log on the fire. "... I was once like that," he muttered under his breath. Then, he spoke aloud "Why don't you get some sleep? I'll keep watch."

"Alright. See you in the morning," Sephiroth said before taking off his coat and laying it to the side before sliding under his own sleeping blanket next to Cloud's.

When the second warrior was deep asleep, Vincent got up from his spot and digging into Sephiroth's discarded trench coat, he pulled out the ocarina and dashed to the riverside. Standing close to the edge, he recalled the notes Sephiroth played in the afternoon and repeated them. The song flowed across the water's surface, it's soft, serene notes beckoning the spirit siren to come up.

He stopped playing and looked out for any sign of her. Suddenly, a hand burst from the water and before he could react, he was dragged into the river and under the surface. Luckily, he took a breath before he was forcefully submerged. Silence pressed on his ears as he was pulled deeper. Finally, his ankle was released and the face of Seryn popped into view and in a blink of an eye, her lips found his and the pressure on his lungs began to recede until it was nothing. She let go after a minute.

"Don't be afraid, Vincent. You can breathe now," she said to him in a reassuring way.

Trusting the spirit siren, he took a breath and found that he was indeed fine!

"I apologize for dragging you in so suddenly. I thought it was Sephiroth at first my melody, but when I got closer, it turned out to be you. Not too bad, may I say," she added.

Vincent nodded in thanks. Seryn took his hand. "Come. Let's talk for a bit. Another thing you should about spirit sirens is that we can hear what people are thinking. Getting the idea?"

Vincent nodded again and decided to give it a try. _Can you hear me?_

"Loud and clear. Come on. I'll take you to one of my favorite spots," she said before leading him by the hand up the river.

He noticed the farther they got upriver, the more easier it was to swim. He slipped his hand out of hers and joined her side.

"So, Vincent. What made you join Sephiroth?" she asked after a minute of swimming.

_There's a certain someone they're going after. His name is Hojo. He is head of the biological portion of ShinRa Inc back in Midgar. He also known for his psychotic experiments he conducts. _

Seryn nodded, a serious expression on her face. "I knew as Hojo as well. Over the years, he's been seeking my kind and one day, he found me and my older brother, Siron, by the beach of Costa del Sol. He sacrificed his freedom for mine before he was caught. Every day since, I feared for his life. I didn't know if he was alright or not. Then... I got my answer one day. I went to the coast of Midgar... and I'll never forget what I saw then. Siron was dead, his body was being chewed on by the monsters there. I lost most of my trust in humans that very day, but when I met Sephiroth and he told me his story, it not only brought my trust back, but made my hatred for Hojo grow even stronger. I'll never forgive what he did to my brother," she said.

The two arrived at a cove surrounded by a mountain valley and sat on the floor.

_I, too, can't forget what he did to me. One of the experiments he did... was on me._

Seryn gasped in horror. "He what!"

Vincent nodded. _I tried to stop someone from participating in one of his projects, but she willingly gave her child growing in her over to him. I tried to persuade her, but she wouldn't listen. I could only stand by and watch. That was one of my sins. And this... _Vincent held his gauntlet out in front of his face. _... This is my punishment. He made me into what I am... a demon. My body was made to be indestructable and of all the demons inside me, I host the most terrifying one... Chaos._

"... Chaos? You mean... the one mentioned in the Chronicles of Yore?" she breathed.

_You know about him? _

She nodded. "'Soul wrought of terra corrupt... quelling impurity, purging the stream to beckon forth an ultimate fate. Behold, mighty Chaos, Omega's squire to the lofty heavens'. My grandmother; you see, she was once a priestess and told me that in a story when I was a young girl. Chaos himself is the harbringer of death. His goal is cleanse the world of those who are still alive in the world. After his deed was done, Omega takes the planet's Lifestream and draws it into himself. Then... he takes his journey to the neverending heavens above. But, once he's gone, the Planet will wither and eventually die. It's a sad tale, but that's how she said it."

_Your grandmother sounds very wise._

She nodded again, but she smiled this time. "Sephiroth said he was going to make a new world. There was going to be a new beginning. No more Mako reactors. No more ShinRa. No more SOLDIER. No more pollution. It'll be just how Planet was born eons ago; fresh and brand new. People could once again live off the land and not have to worry. Do you agree?" she said happily.

Vincent looked at her for a moment and he swore he saw Lucrecia's smiling face instead of Seryn's. He finally nodded.

_Yes... it would be nice for a change. He said if I go with him... all the pain I felt for over 30 years would be gone. It would as if Hojo didn't exist at all in my life. _

"You know, Vincent... the first time I saw you, I knew you were different. But, that's what makes you unique... and that's what I like about you. You're not like any other human I've met," she said softly, caressing his pale cheek.

And for the first time in 30 years, Vincent smiled. _... Thank you, Seryn. At least you don't think I'm a monster after all I told you._

'Lucrecia... is it possible for me to love again?' he thought inwardly.

"You're not a monster, Vincent. Sure you have demons in you, but that doesn't make you one as well. You have your own personality, though you're just afraid to show it. I understand that. However, I know one day, you'll fully open up. It takes time, so don't force yourself," she said.

Vincent nodded. With that, Seryn kissed him again and he gradually melted into it. Through that one kiss, his locked up heart began to open.

'... Thank you... Lucrecia. Thank you, Seryn.'

The sun had just peeked over the horizon by the time the two arrived back at the campsite. With a burst of demonic energy, Vincent expelled the water off his body and dried his clothing and hair. Seryn surfaced a second later.

"I'll meet you guys near the mouth of the river," she said.

Vincent nodded and made to go back.

"Vincent" he turned back towards the spirit siren, who had that soft smile on her face. "Remember what I said last night and yesterday afternoon. Don't let the past weigh you down."

"... Thanks again," he said before leaving.

Seryn watched him go. "You're in good hands, Vincent. That much I know."


	12. Chapter 11: The Black Materia

**Ch 11**

Vincent finally opens up after a long period of isolation as the trio head for the Temple of the Ancients

The Black Materia

"At last... we are here."

The trio stood in front of a huge ziggurat; the mythic Temple of the Ancients. After endless trekking through the thick and dense jungles around it, they had finally arrived.

_**"Inside these temples lies the key to our plan. We are one step closer to succeeding in our plans!" **_Jenova spoke in their minds.

"I know, Mother. We are very close," Sephiroth said aloud.

Cloud's heart began to race with excitement as he thought about how far they have come since they departed near Kalm. Their dream was slowly starting to become a reality. Sephiroth noticed the blond's attitude by the glint in his eyes as he gazed at the temple. He knew Cloud was getting excited for he chuckled at this.

"_**My sons, Tseng of the Turks has used the Keystone to unlock the door!" **_

Sephiroth mentall nodded before turning to the two. "The door has been opened. Let's get inside," he said.

Ascending the stairs, they came to a small room with an altar at the front. On top of it was the Keystone. Stepping onto the platform, they were warped to a maze that looked like it came out of a painting. It was nothing but stairs that went in unknown directions.

"Whoa... how are we supposed to get through here?" Cloud said in awe.

Sephiroth, however, didn't look deterred in the least. "... Come on," he said before walking ahead.

Vincent and Cloud followed a second later. The maze seemed endless as they walked up and down the many different staircases. Of course, monsters had to interfere, but nothing the three couldn't handle. Cloud's legs were protesting in pain as the walk went on. Sephiroth looked back at him.

"Are you alright?" he asked with a bit of concern.

Cloud was slightly panting by then. "Y-Yeah. Why does this... place have to be... so complex?" he replied.

"When travelers come here, they usually do because of the stories they hear about the Black Materia. So, they journey here to try and claim it for either profit or power over everyone else. This temple has a series of puzzles to solve. If they are solved, the materia is theirs... but, the temple has one final defense mechanism to ensure that the Black Materia does not leave. As each puzzle is solved, the temple will grow smaller until there is nothing left. So, they either wander here or die by their own selfish hands," Sephiroth explained.

"Is there another way?" Cloud asked as they reached the end at last.

Sephiroth nodded again. "... A sacrifice must be made," he said.

Cloud gulped. As they entered a dark corridor, they heard a series of loud rumbles. Looking ahead, they saw large boulders rolling down the pathway.

"LOOK OUT!" Sephiroth shouted while grabbing Cloud by the arm and yanking him out of the way while Vincent jumped to the other side.

Cloud landed on top of Sephiroth, his heart this time racing with fear; fear of nearly being flattened into a pancake. "Thanks, Seph," he said as the two stood to their feet.

"One of the traps..." Sephiroth suddenly saw something different about the boulders; they had huge gaps in them! "That's it! Vincent, see if you can get past them and stop the boulders!" he shouted to the gunslinger.

Nodding, Vincent began darting in and out of the boulders, slowly making his way up the path. They could only see flashes of crimson and after a few minutes of ducking and dodging the rolling masses of rock, he reached the end and the boulders finally stopped.

"Nice going, Vincent!" Cloud cheered as they made their way towards him.

Vincent dusted himself off. "Hopefully, we won't have to do this again if we come back through," he said.

"Let's keep moving," Sephiroth said before leading the way again.

Going to the next room, they saw, what looked like, a huge clock. At each hour, there were different rooms leading from the clock room. The loud tickings was all they heard for a moment. The time path right now was that the minute hand was in front of them at the ten while the hour hand was at the six. All together, it made a path for them to cross.

"I'll go first," Cloud said before carefully stepping onto the minute hand.

But, as he crossed, he was suddenly struck in the leg by the rotating hand and with a scream, began to plummet to the abyss below.

"CLOUD, NO!" Sephiroth screamed.

Vincent jumped over the rotating hand and latched onto Cloud's outstretched hand with his human one while hanging onto the minute hand with his gauntlet. Both dangled over the pit as the Buster Sword started spiraling downward after coming loose from his back.

"No!" Cloud gasped before hastily grabbed his blade.

Vincent grunted in determination as he tried to pull himself and Cloud up, eyes screwed shut and teeth gritted. Then, he heard a grating sound; Vincent's gauntlet was losing its grip on the ledge. Sephiroth jumped in and latched onto the golden claw, trying to keep both of them from falling.

"Vincent, Sephiroth, hurry! I'm slipping down here!" Cloud called up as he felt his hand starting slide from his ally's grasp due the accumulating sweat.

"Hold on!" Sephiroth shouted back.

Vincent tried to redouble his grip on the slipping blond, but he was slipping further and further until both were holding on by their fingertips. At last, Cloud slipped away and fell down into the seemingly endless pit.

"CLOUD!" both men shouted in horror.

After a tense minute, both heard a scream of agony and Sephiroth's heart felt like it stopped. "Oh no..." he breathed.

Vincent's face hardened into a glare before turning up at Sephiroth. "Go ahead and find Tseng. We'll catch up," he said before letting go of the side and descending after Cloud.

"Vincent!" Sephiroth called after him.

"FIND TSENG!" he heard the Chaos vessel shout back at him before disappearing from sight.

He landed gracefully on the stone floor and saw Cloud somehow got impaled with his sword. There was a huge wound in his right shoulder and blood was starting to pool around it. He knelt next to him and gripped the handle of the sword.

"I have to take this out in order for me to heal it," he said.

Cloud weakly nodded and shut his eyes tight, bracing himself for the pain to come. Before it could be pulled out, two Ancient Dragons flew down at them with unified roars. Drawing Cereberus, he began firing at them while protecting Cloud. The dragons swooped and dived at him, unleashing streams of flames. Vincent blocked them with his Ice magic, getting in a few blows in the process. One of them swiped at him with his claws, but Vincent dodged with flawless grace and speed before putting two bullets into the skull, killing it instantly. The second dragon, angered that its companion had fallen, went beserk on Vincent. The man felt his Limit Break coming on and the feeling was stronger by the second. Chaos wanted out and he wanted out NOW!

"Looks like I have no choice..." Vincent sighed before being covered by a demonic crimson and black aura.

_At last, I shall be free once again! Unleash me, my host! Show this beast the true meaning of fear!_

With a scream that quickly into a roar, Chaos was unleashed as he hovered above the blond, who stared at his transformation in shock. Then, he remembered what Sephiroth said to him back at the ShinRa Manor.

'_Soul wrought of terra corrupt... quelling impurity, purging the stream to beckon forth an ultimate fate...'_

"...'Behold, mighty Chaos, Omega's squire to the lofty heavens'," Cloud finished to himself quietly.

The deity of death stared at the dragon before him with a murderous glare. The dragon only roared in defiance before darting towards him. A sadistic smirk curled the lips of Chaos, showing his elongated canines, before in a swift blur of crimson, violet and black, plunged a clawed hand into its chest. The monster let out a death screech before slamming into the ground in a heap besides its buddy. Chaos landed back on the ground and turned to Cloud, whose eyes were wider than dinner plates. Walking over to him, he gripped the blade and with a yank, it was free. Cloud screamed in agony again as it was pulled from his shoulder.

"_**Hold still" **_Chaos/Vincent said before kneeling down and placing his non-bloodied claw inches above the wound.

A faint crimson glow emitted from his hand and Cloud sharply inhaled as the wound began to stitch back together. Looking up at Chaos, he swore he saw Vincent's eyes through the beastly exterior. After a minute, the wound was healed, leaving a huge scar behind. The two stood to their feet and Cloud gingerly rubbed his shoulder.

"Thank you," he said.

Chaos looked upwards and smirked again. _**"Sephiroth has cut down Tseng... and found the knowledge of the Ancients. He's waiting for us in the archive room," **_he said.

Without warning, Cloud was scooped up into Chaos's arms and before he knew it, they were soaring back up to the clock and flying into the room with the Roman numeral six above them. Coming to two rows of tunnels, they went into a door on the left side of the double doors. The room was lit with torches that stood against the walls, lighting up the many murals on the wall. Chaos set Cloud down and he went over to Sephiroth. Seeing the arrival of the two, Sephiroth ran to Cloud and the two embraced. Pulling away, he saw the scar on his lover's shoulder. "What happened?" he asked.

"Somehow got impaled with my own sword. Vincent protected me when two dragons came at us," Cloud replied.

Taking a deep breath, Sephiroth calmed down. "What matters is that you two are alright. Come look at this," Sephiroth said before ushering Cloud over to a miniature model of the temple.

"... This is it?" Cloud inquired, earning a smirk in reply.

"Yes... this is the Black Materia. Remember what I told you earlier and almost a week ago? The temple itself is the Black Materia. You see that?" Sephiroth pointed to one that had the mural of a fireball falling. "Imagine this: what would happen if there was an injury that threatened the very life of the Planet? Think how much energy would be gathered in order to heal the wound. And at the center of that injury will be us! All that boundless energy will be ours. By merging with all the energy of the Planet, we will become as deities, ruling over our very own world!" he said with barely restrained desire.

_**Yes, Sephiroth... our time is upon us. Ha ha ha... AVALANCHE approaches. They know of our presence.**_

Sephiroth continued to smirk. "Good... let them come," he said.

Within a few minutes, Tifa, Cid and Aerith came into the room, weapons drawn. Cloud and Chaos drew their weapons as well (Chaos summoned his Death Penalty weapon), but Sephiroth stayed them with his hands.

"Soon... we will become one with the Planet," he said to the group in front of them.

"... Become one with the Planet? How will you do that?" Aerith asked.

"It's simple. Once the Planet is hurt, it gathers Spirit Energy to heal the injury." Sephiroth turned to Cid. "The amount of energy gathered depends on the size of the injury." He finally turned to Tifa. "Like I told my allies, at the center of that injury will be the three of us. We will become one with the Planet," Sephiroth explained.

"You're crazy! That'll never happen!" Tifa snapped at him, getting into her fighting stance.

"Tifa, this is your last chance to back down. Either you stay out of our way..." Cloud swung and pointed his blade at her. "Or you certainly will die!" he threatened.

Tifa glared back at him defiantly. "No! We won't back down! We WILL stop you! You're going to pay for turning your back on us!" she shouted.

Sephiroth only laughed at her. "Then by all means, try. Right now..." the temple suddenly began to rumble. "... I believe you have other business to take care of. Cloud, Vincent, we're leaving," he said.

Nodding, both men were swept up by Chaos's wings and in a flash of crimson light, they vanished out of sight. Just as they left, a Red Dragon appeared and the three of them went into battle. Outside, they appeared at the bridge leading to the temple. After setting them down, Chaos released Vincent and the gunslinger fell to his hands and knees. Cloud knelt beside him.

"Are you ok?"

Vincent managed a nod, despite being weakened by Chaos using his body. "... I'll be fine. It's not the first time this happened where Chaos controlled me for long periods of time," he replied, getting to his feet and holstering Cereberus.

"So, what now? What about the Black Materia?" Cloud asked Sephiroth.

Sephiroth looked back towards the temple. "... We wait. After we get it, we head for the Northern Continent. That's where part two begins," he replied with a serious look.

It was nearing sunset when they suddenly heard a loud crash coming from the temple. The three were resting underneath the trees and Sephiroth stood from his place, a grin on his face. "They have it... it's time I go claim what is mine," he said before teleporting to the ruins.

With Tifa, Aerith and Cid, Aerith and Tifa jumped into the footprint of the temple and approaching the floating Black Materia. Tifa took it into her hands, staring at it with wide eyes.

"I can't believe it... we got it," she said.

Aerith nodded in agreement. "As long as we have it, Sephiroth won't be able to use Meteor," she added.

Tifa turned to the Ancient. "Can't you guys use it?" she asked.

"Nope, we can't use it right now. You need great spiritual power to use it. One person's power alone won't do it. Somewhere special. Where there's plenty of the Planet's energy..."

"! The Promised Land!" both girls said in unison.

"But, Sephiroth is different. He's not an Ancient. He shouldn't be able to find the Promised Land," Aerith added.

Then, they heard Sephiroth's laughter as he hovered the deep hole. "Ah, but I have. I'm far superior to the Ancients. I became a traveler of the Lifestream and gained the knowledge and wisdom of the Ancients. I also gained the knowledge and wisdom of those after the extinction of the Ancients. And soon, once I share this knowledge with your former friend, we will create the future!" he proclaimed.

"I won't let you do it! The future is not only yours!" Aeris vowed.

Sephiroth laughed again as he descended into the hole. He ruthlessly seized Tifa's mind and she slowly started stumbling towards Sephiroth, her body moving against her will. The Black Materia seemed to call to Sephiroth, as if wanting to be taken into the hands of Jenova's son.

'No... I can't...! Why can't I fight...!' Tifa thought in horror.

From above, Vincent, Cloud and Cid were watching, two of them were smirking in dark triumph while the third watched in horror as the ultimate Materia was handed over to the silver haired warrior of Jenova.

"Well done," Sephiroth said before flying out of the hole.

Vincent swept up Cloud in his cape and disappearing in a flutter of crimson with Sephiroth following soon after. All three had the same thought running through their minds...

_It is almost time... soon, nothing or no one will stop us._


	13. Chapter 12: Ensuring the future

**Ch 12**

The Black Materia is finally theirs, but there is one more thing the three have to take care of first...

Ensuring the future

In a flurry of crimson and silver, the trio landed on the beach near the Bone Village by the time the sun was setting. Vincent released Cloud from the confines of his cape and the two went towards Sephiroth, who held the Black Materia in his hands with an evil grin on his face.

"At last... the Black Materia..." he spoke, barely restraining the giddiness that rose in his voice as he spoke.

Cloud smiled as well while Vincent nodded. "And we did this together," Cloud said, wrapping an arm around Sephiroth's waist.

Sephiroth smiled at his lover before claiming his lips in a passionate kiss. After a minute, they pulled away, leaving Cloud once again breathless. It reminded the demonic gunslinger of his kiss with Seryn. His tongue absentmindly flickered across his lips at the thought of the spirit siren's own against his during their time together.

"Hey, Vincent" he was snapped out of his thoughts as Cloud and Sephiroth were giving him questioning looks, both wondering why he was so spaced out. "Are you alright?" Cloud asked.

Vincent nodded again. "Sorry. I was thinking about something. Let's get inside the village," he said before walking ahead.

Sephiroth and Cloud looked at each other before they shrugged and followed him towards the small village. Arriving there, they saw a small band of diggers with different tools in their hands digging around in various parts.

"Well, hello there!" called the captain from inside a nearby tent.

"What's going on around here?" Cloud asked him.

"Well, this, here, is an excavation. We're looking for a valualbe treasure called the Lunar Harp," the captain replied.

Sephiroth's eyes widened mildly. He knew that was no ordinary treasure. That was the only thing that would awaken the Sleeping Forest that lay ahead of the village. Without the harp, the forest was an endless maze and was VERY easy to get lost in. Cloud caught his look and knew that Sephiroth knew about this certain item.

"There's been no luck?" asked the silver haired warrior.

"Nope, nada. I was hopin' we'd find it by now. We got a deadline to meet in a few days and right now, things aren't lookin' good," sighed the captain sadly while scratching the back of his head.

"What if we helped?" Vincent asked.

"Yeah. We'll find it faster if we work together," Cloud nodded in agreement.

Sephiroth smiled at the two before he, too, agreed. The captain instantly brightened up. "Really? You'll help? Why, thank you!" he turned to the workers. "You hear that! We got some help!" he shouted to them.

The workers cheered in reply as the trio placed their weapons to the side and prepared to get to work. Sephiroth looked around and went into a thoughtful look as he pondered every square inch of the excavation area. "I think this needs to be a bit more spread out than it is. I can already see spots that must've been dug at least a few times already," he observed.

Cloud could see the old General Sephiroth coming through as Sephiroth pointed out the different holes dotting the place. 'Just like old times. Whatever the situation, he always takes charge,' he thought with a small smile.

"What's the plan?" asked a female worker, face mostly covered in dirt.

Sephiroth looked around again, instantly going back into his old General ways. "I want a group on that cliff and start digging there. A few of you could dig along th cliff walls. The rest of you stay down here and keep looking, but don't dig around in the same spots," he commanded, pointing to the said spots.

The groups acted instantly and started working as soon as they got to their designated positions. They worked into the night and by that time, the three were sweating bullets. Sephiroth had discarded his coat beside his Masamune, exposing his slightly glistening chest. Cloud had gotten sidetracked for a moment, but shook out of his trance when he almost got impaled by a wayward , Vincent got him out of the way in time.

"I'm going to have some of my workers keep on workin'. Why don't you three go get yourselves cleaned up?" said the captain.

"Thank you," Sephiroth said while wiping his forehead with his arm.

Going inside the largest tent that was on the cliff, the guys cleaned themselves of the dirt and sweat that accumulated on them during the remainder of the day. "Ah... that felt good. I hope we find that harp before AVALANCHE gets here," Cloud sighed while climbing into one of the three hamocks hung around the interior.

"It usually takes a couple of days to get here from the temple by sea and a week by foot. It only took us about a day, so we have plenty of time to find it," Sephiroth said. 'Plus... I need to dispose of that Ancient,' he added in his mind.

Vincent climbed into the hamock at the back of the tent, using his cape as a blanket. "Why is it so important to find the Lunar Harp?" he asked.

"Because... it's the only that could awaken the Sleeping Forest. It's just ahead of this village. While we were at the temple, I absorbed the knowledge of the Ancients. If you don't have the harp when you go in there, you'll get lost and you wind up spending your life trying to find a way out. However, if you use the harp on the forest, it'll open the path to Forgotten City, Ajit. It was made as a sanctuary for the Ancients. Only they know the way," Sephiroth replied.

Cloud curled up slightly in his hamock. "I can't imagine getting lost in there," he said, shivering at the thought.

Night finally settled in and the moon shone bright above the small, quiet village. Vincent and Cloud were fast asleep, but Sephiroth was awake as he couldn't sleep. They had finally claimed the Black Materia after so many days of traveling.

'Soon... this planet will be ours. With Vincent and Cloud at my side, our victory is sealed. And there will be nothing that AVALANCHE or ShinRa can do about it,' he thought as he stared up at the ceiling.

Hushed voices caught his attention. It sounded like the late-night workers. Have they found the harp so soon? Carefully, he got out of his hamock and crept outside. He saw the few workers, plus the captain, that volunteered to stay up were gathered around the chest. Hearing footsteps, they saw the ex-General approaching.

"Whatcha doin' up?" asked the first male worker in a hushed voice.

"Did you find it?" Sephiroth asked in return.

The workers grinned and opened the chest. Inside... laid the Lunar Harp. Elation rose in Sephiroth's chest as he took out of the chest with care.

_**The Lunar Harp... However, I have a plan. **_

_What is it, Mother?_

_**Leave it. When she arrives, SHE can play the harp and therefore, open the way for you. She'll lead us right to the Forgotten City! **_

Sephiroth grinned as he continued to stare at the harp. _After she awakes the forest... her fate will be sealed. Sounds like a good plan to me. Alright, I'll leave this to her. _

"Thank you, but the reason why I wanted this found was because this was for a certain person I know. She'll be here soon. She goes by the name of Aerith. Give this to her, but don't tell her that I found it or that I'm here. I want to surprise her," he said.

"Sure thing. I'll make sure this gets to her," the captain nodded while Sephiroth placed it back inside the chest.

Nodding in thanks, Sephiroth headed back to the tent, that same evil grin on his face. What fools... Getting back inside, he was about to climb back into bed...

"... Seph?" came the groggy voice of his beloved.

Facing him, he saw the blond sitting up, rubbing his eyes. "What were you doin' up?" he asked, voice laced with sleep.

Sephiroth walked over to Cloud and slid into his hamock. It was amazing that it could hold the two of them as he wrapped his arms around the younger male. "... They found the Lunar Harp," he whispered.

If Cloud wasn't awake, he certainly was now. "What! They did?" he whispered excitedly. Then, why weren't they going to the forest?

Sephiroth put a finger to his own lips, silencing him. "But, Mother has an idea. When Aerith comes, I told the captain to give it to her. Getting the idea?" he said.

It soon dawned on Cloud after a moment. "... So, when she plays it, we can just follow her!" he gasped.

Sephiroth nodded with a grin before it faded after a second. "Cloud... I'm going to have to leave you here for a bit with Vincent. I need to do this alone," he added seriously.

"What! No! I want to-" Sephiroth placed a finger on his lips, shutting him up again.

"I know you want to go with me, but I can sense that our travels has taken a heavy toll on you. You need your rest before we go on. It'll take awhile for her to get here, so that'll be plenty of time for you to recuperate and regain your strength. Please, Cloud?" he told him in a soft tone.

Cloud really wanted to argue, but the pleading look in his lover's eyes put them out of mind. Finally, he nodded. Sephiroth smiled again before laying a kiss on his lips, which was returned instantly. Cloud ran a hand through the long strands of silver hair before it rested on the back of his neck. Sephiroth's cool hands ran underneath his shirth and along his back, making the blond shiver against the ghostly touch. After a moment, they slowly broke apart and Cloud rested his head against Sephiroth's chest. Sephiroth rested his chin on top of his head while holding him close. From his bed, Vincent had been awake the whole time the two were talking. Shutting his eyes, he fell back asleep.

The next morning, Cloud awoke to the sun's bright morning rays penetrating the entrance. The blond moaned at the sudden brightness.

"Seph, close the curtain," he mumbled.

No response. "Sephiroth?" Cloud sat up and glanced over at the hamock... and found it empty. He frowned as he remembered last night's conversation. "Oh yea... he must be waiting for Aerith," he sighed as he climbed out of his hamock.

Getting dressed in a black t-shirt and blue jeans left by Sephiroth, he exited the tent and saw the workers digging once again. He looked around and found no sign of Vincent among them. "Has anyone seen Vincent?" he asked aloud.

"I think he headed to the beach," replied the captain.

Cloud nodded before running towards the seaside. Getting to the beach, he saw Vincent sitting on the shore and beside him sat Seryn. He smiled at this scene; it seems that Vincent is starting to open up.

'If only Sephiroth were here to see this...' he thought.

Sensing his presence, the two on the beach turned towards the blond. "Good morning, Cloud," Seryn greeted.

Cloud nodded before joining them, sitting on the other side of Seryn. A gentle breeze kicked up, brushing against their faces. Seryn sighed in contentment. "Such a beautiful morning," she said.

"Yeah... yet soon enough, every day is going to be like this without ShinRa polluting it," Cloud nodded, looking out to the horizon.

_**Indeed, my son. **_Cloud almost jumped in surprise at Jenova's voice suddenly entering his mind. _**Every day shall be like this one. The world will be changed dramatically to the point of nature taking back what was once hers. We will also take back what was rightfully ours as well. You know what I speak of. **_

Cloud nodded mentally. _I know... and you know what I want as well. _

_**And it shall be given to you in due time. The ultimate revenge will soon be yours, Cloud. Sephiroth is waiting near the Sleeping Forest for the Ancient. He was wise to leave you here. Your strength, indeed, has dwindled significantly during the journey. **_

"Cloud?" Vincent's voice brought him back from his talk with Jenova. "Was it her?" he asked.

"Yeah. She said that Sephiroth's waiting for Aerith. I already knew that much. But, she agrees with us," Cloud replied, nodding.

Seryn looked towards the beach and saw the captain approaching. "I must leave. I hope to see you again before you go on with your journey," she said before diving back into the ocean, just as the captain arrived.

"Hey, you two. Great mornin', eh?" he asked with a grin.

The two nodded. Cloud turned to Vincent. "How long have you been here?" he asked.

"Before the sun rose. I couldn't go back to sleep, so I came down here. By the way, I heard you two talking about the Lunar Harp," Vincent replied.

"Your friend told ya we found it? Ha ha! I couldn't believe it! And it was under our noses! We just weren't looking in the right places," the captain laughed.

"CAPTAIN!" came a shout from the village. "WE FOUND SOMETHING! GET BACK HERE, QUICK!"

The three dashed from the beach and saw some workers gathered around a hole about five feet deep. Vincent and Cloud got closer and to their surprise, one of the workers had dug up a huge sword. The handle of it was jet black with two pairs of, what looked like, metal mini wings shaped in an X by their ends near the ring while the blade was made of mythril and measured about almost six feet in length. The tip of the sword looked like a diamond. The wings each had a circular slot carved into them. No doubt that's where the Materia went.

"Hoo wee! That's one big sword! I'm surprised there's not even a sign of withering. Not even a crack!" the captain whistled.

"Mythril is known to last for long periods of time. Time only makes it stronger and more sharper," Vincent explained.

Cloud didn't say nothing as he took the blade in his hands. He ran his hand over the flat side of the sword, looking at it in awe. "Wow..." he whispered, a grin spreading across his lips.

"Ya like swords, don'tcha?" asked one of the female workers.

Cloud could only nod as he twirled it around a bit. The workers were wise to stand back as the warrior made several slashing movements before spinning like a helicopter blade and sheathing it behind his back. The workers applauded at his sword-wielding.

"Now I have the Buster Sword and this one," Cloud said.

"Buster Sword? You have another one?" asked the captain, clearly surprised.

"The Buster Sword was given to me by a friend of mine..." his smile quickly faded into that of sadness. "... He gave his life for me back when I was in SOLDIER. The sword... was his legacy." he sighed. "I truly miss him," he said.

"At least you got his memory, right?" asked the same female worker.

Cloud nodded. "Yeah... and I'll always remember him," he vowed as he looked to the skies.

From the edge of the woods, Sephiroth watched this scene. 'Yes... Zack was a loyal friend and ally to have in SOLDIER.' he, too, then looked to the skies. 'I just wished I haven't...' he sighed mentally. 'Oh Zack, please forgive me...' he thought, sadness dancing in his Mako cat-like eyes.

With that, he disappeared back into the woods. He sure hoped that Zack would forgive him for all that he had done...

"You gonna name that one, too?" a little girl in the crowd asked Cloud.

Cloud looked at his blade for a moment before a name hit him. "... Ragnorok. I'm naming it Ragnorok," he announced.

"A mighty fine name for a mighty fine sword. Ragnorok suits such a weapon," the captain nodded in agreement, as did the others.

The sun soon began setting hours later and a bonfire was set up. Everyone sat around the fire, sharing laughs or stories. Cloud and Vincent listened as they each told something from their memories or just for giggles. Even Cloud got a laugh or two from them while Vincent cracked a small smile. It was good to settle down once in awhile and forget everything that troubled you.

"So, Cloud, what's your story?" asked the captain, breaking the blond's trance.

Cloud was hesitant, but a hand on his shoulder from Vincent soothed his fear. "It's alright," he whispered to him.

Nodding, Cloud grabbed a small log and tossed it onto the fire.

"I was born and grew up in Nibelheim. All of the neighborhood kids picked on me, the reason I rather forget. I had this dream ever since I was kid. That dream: to join SOLDIER. So, when I turned sixteen, I left Nibelheim and headed for Midgar. I remember my mother crying that day. I promised her that I would write often. People said that SOLDIER was very hard to get into if you don't have the right qualities But miraculously, I got in and I even met my childhood hero... General Sephiroth."

"I know him! I met him one time! He's super cool!" exclaimed one of the older village kids, earning several cheery replies from his friends.

"And he's very strong, too," another young girl swooned.

"Mary's got a boyfriend! Mary's got a boyfriend!" teased a couple of her friends.

"I do NOT!" Mary snapped.

"Alright, kids. That's enough. Let Cloud finish his story," the captain said before nodding towards Cloud.

Taking a breath, he picked up where he stopped. "Like I said, I got to meet him, but..." a light blush crept up on his cheeks, earning several giggles from the surrounding girls. "... I developed a crush on him after several months."

Several 'aww's' and squeals erupted from the girls, but the captain quieted them down again. Cloud smiled a little.

"Heh... but he didn't know it because I was afraid of telling him. I was afraid that I might get rejected if I did. I was lucky, though. I had a friend who knew about my crush on Sephiroth. His name was Zackary Fair. Sometimes, he would pull the most ridiculous of stunts in order for Sephiroth and I to hook up. Nine times out of ten, they would backfire. Finally, I told him that I would tell Sephiroth. It was at Christmas time and Sephiroth was up in his office, getting ready for the Christmas ball. When he came out, I swear I almost forgot what I was going to say to him. I was that nervous."

Laughter broke out at that statement. Listening from the forest was Sephiroth. He, too, had cracked a grin. "I still remember that. You were red as a beet," he said to himself mostly.

The group calmed again before Cloud continued again. "My heart was racing that night as I tried to figure out what I should say to Sephiroth. Finally, I did the first thing that came to my mind... I kissed him. I felt like kicking myself for not saying anything first. I thought Sephiroth would push me away, but to my shock, he kissed me back." The grin came back. "Gaia, it was the most wonderful feeling to know that my childhood hero liked me the way I did him."

"Aww... that's so cute! What happened next!" asked a third female worker.

"After that night, we started going out. We often hung out when I was done with all my classes. During missions, we were always partners. Of course, Zack went with us as well. Those were the greatest times of my life. I've been with him ever since. I would give my life for him and I know he'll do the same for me. He's done it many times when we were together somewhere," Cloud finished.

He also debated whether or not he should tell him the rest of the story.

_You don't have to tell them if you don't want, Cloud. I don't want you to be in pain again _came the voice of Sephiroth.

"Well, Cloud, all I can is that you are very lucky to have him at your side. To have such a person who's willin' to stay with you no matter what is alright in my book. Wherever you three are going next, our prayers will be with you," said the captain.

A single tear ran down Cloud's cheek at the people's sincereness. "Thank you... all of you," he said.

Suddenly, thunder rumbled overhead, signaling an incoming storm.

"Alright, everyone, inside!"

The people scurried about, trying to get everything that was not supposed to be wet inside before heading inside their houses. The rain came down seconds later. Cloud laid in his hamock, hands resting behind his head.

"I could tell that you didn't want to tell the rest of the story," Vincent said as he took off his cape and climbed into his hamock.

Cloud sighed. "Yeah... but Sephiroth told me a moment ago that I didn't have to, so I decided not to," he replied before closing his eyes, letting the sounds of the rain soothe him into slumber.

Vincent laid down and covered himself with his cape, allowing sleep to claim him also. A week went by and Aerith finally arrived in the village early in the morning. Cloud and Vincent hid in their tent while watching the Ancient talk with the captain before they saw him give her the Lunar Harp.

"We found it a week ago," they heard him say to her.

"Thank you very much," Aerith bowed in thanks before heading towards the forest.

_This is it! She's coming, Seph! _Cloud said in his mind.

_**I already told him, Cloud. He's fully aware of her presence. Just rest for now. Sephiroth will take care of her **_Jenova replied to him.

"Sephiroth's already knows she's here," Cloud told Vincent, who nodded in reply.

_**My son has told me to go to the Crater. He will meet you there. **_

Cloud really didn't want to leave Sephiroth, but if he has to... "Vincent, we're going to the Crater. Sephiroth will meet us there," he said, grabbing his two swords and strapping them to his back.

"Alright," Vincent acknowledged before grabbing his gun and their Materia.

After equipping themselves with what they needed, Cloud and Vincent left their tent and headed out. Before they left, everyone came to say goodbye and thanked them for their help.

"Where's your friend?" asked the captain.

"He'll be with us shortly. He needs to take care of something first," Cloud replied.

"Alright, then. Ya'll be careful out there, ya here? Dangerous monsters roam these parts nowadays."

The two nodded before leaving the village, waving goodbye to the villagers in the meantime. Making it out to the wide open plains, Vincent once again swept up Cloud and in a flurry of crimson, they were gone. Soaring above the lands, the tattered crimson cloak moved like a ghost, unseen by most. In the dark confines, Cloud's heart raced with excitement again. After Aerith was gone, the future was trully theirs!

The climate quickly went from warm to freezing cold as they entered the Great Glacier area. It was the afternoon before the two stopped at the Icicle Inn. Cloud shivered slightly from the cold as they walked towards the inn. What they saw was not who they were expecting...

"They're over there! Hurry!"

"Yes, ma'am!"

Running up towards them was Elena with a couple of ShinRa soldiers. Cloud groaned and rolled his eyes. 'Here we go again...' he thought in disdain.

"Cloud... (huff)(wheeze) I won't let you go any further! You really got guts doin' my boss in like that!" Elena puffed and panted.

"But, that wasn't me. It was Sephiroth," Cloud said, raising an eyebrow.

"Liar! Don't act innocent! You're going to feel some pain if you don't tell the truth!" Elena snapped.

"It's true, Elena. Sephiroth was-" Vincent tried to explain.

"YOU SHUT UP!" she snapped at him before turning to Cloud, glaring at him.

"Listen, that wasn't me!" Cloud tried to get to see reason.

"Looks like talking alone won't cut it. Now prepare to feel some pain!" Elena growled, cocking back her fist.

As her fist flew at him, Cloud quickly sidestepped to the right and she lost her balance and went tumbling out of sight, spouting curses as she went. Cloud only shook his head with a sigh while Vincent pinched the bridge of his nose. "If only Tseng would've saw..." he said.

"Let's just get inside and warm up for a bit. I'm freezing out here," Cloud said before heading towards the inn.

Being inside was a huge relief to them as the snow that built on them melted off instantly. Cloud looked around, hoping to buy a coat at least to keep himself warm when they went back outside. His hands stopped at a long black cloak. Nodding, he took it off the hangar and brought it up to the counter. He paid 50 gil for it before putting it over his outfit. The cloak came with a hood.

"Not bad," he said as he examined himself.

_**Cloud! **_Cloud again nearly jumped at Jenova's voice. _**I bring news! **_

"What is it?" he asked aloud, getting Vincent's attention.

_**The Ancient is dead! Holy will not be summoned! My son, we have won! **_


	14. Chapter 13: My friend

**Ch 13 **

With Aerith dead, the trio are not too far away from accomplishing their mission. First, part of Sephiroth's and Cloud's pasts comes back to in the form of old friends...

My friend

Cloud couldn't believe it.

If this was a dream, please don't wake him up! But, Jenova told him not too long ago that Aerith had been successfully killed, therefore stopping Holy from being summoned when called for and sealing the Planet's fate.

Seeing the shocked look on Cloud's face, Vincent quickly came to his side. "What happened?" he asked.

"Vincent... he... he did it," Cloud replied after a moment of tense silence.

Now it was Vincent's turn to be shocked. The Ancient was dead? "Then... that means..." he trailed off as a grin slowly spread across Cloud's lips.

"We... we did it!" he exclaimed, throwing his arms around the gunslinger in a happy embrace.

He was caught off guard for a brief second before returning the hug. He, too, was happy. He finally was getting a chance at a new life. Already, he could feel the burden he had been carrying starting to slow lift off his shoulders. Inside, Chaos and his other demons were roaring in triumph. Tears of joy flowed down from Cloud's eyes as the news truly sunk in.

His deepest desire was coming true; now, he and Sephiroth will never be seperated again! His revenge was almost complete! Vincent's head snapped towards the door upon hearing someone coming in. Breaking from the embrace, the two turned to see Sephiroth dusting off the snow from his shoulders and some from his hair.

"SEPH!" he heard Cloud shout.

Looking up, all the ex-General saw was a blur of blond before he found himself being tackled to the ground, enveloped in a tight glomp. They found themselves laughing with happiness as Sephiroth hugged him back, knowing why he was like this. He knew that Mother had told him the news. Other than that, Cloud was acting like the innocent, young Cadet he knew back in SOLDIER.

'That's good. He can forget all that troubled him in the past. This is why I fell in love with him in the first place,' he thought as he held Cloud in his arms.

Vincent gave a soft smile as this sight. He wouldn't admit it, but he found it quite amusing to see the blond acting like a teenager that was head-over-heels in love. The two broke apart and both got to their feet before Cloud hugged him again, this time more gently.

"All we need to do now is head up to the Crater. AVALANCHE will soon be coming" Sephiroth then scoffed. "They think they can avenge the fallen Ancient. I say let them come," Sephiroth smirked as he looked at the two.

Cloud sighed. "We tried to warn them what would happen. At least... I did. Now..." he looked up in determination. "Looks like we have no other choice." He looked over to his blades propped against the wall near the door. "We're going have to show them the hard way," he said, clenching his hands into fists.

Sephiroth nodded slowly. "We should get going. They're heading this direction soon," he said.

Heading back outside, the snow had stopped, much to Cloud's relief. He felt a hand slip through his own and being slowly lifted off his feet. Sephiroth was now hovering several yards off the ground while Vincent covered himself in his cape once again and was already flying away. The two lovers smiled at each other as they followed the gunslinger's ghostly form. The icy air bit at Cloud's face, forcing him to shut his eyes.

_Mother, we're heading for the Crater. AVALANCHE will soon be heading this way as well. _

_**Very well, my son. I'll take care of them when they do come. **_

Sephiroth cut off the connection. Getting up beside Vincent's form, he suddenly saw crimson light emerging from within. He knew Chaos would soon be making his appearance by light's growing glow. Cloud managed to crack his eyes open and they widened as the deity of death seconds later was free from the confines of Vincent. Its crimson and black aura left behind a brief tail as it flew. Sephiroth smirked at the demon and in turn, got a feral grin, revealing his sharp canines. Sephiroth looked towards the upcoming destination that was a couple of miles away.

"We'll be there soon enough. Soon, the Planet will be ours!" Sephiroth proclaimed, earning a roar of approval from Chaos and a cheer from Cloud.

They came to the Crater and the trio hovered miles over it. Cloud stared in awe at the huge hole as he saw wisps of the Lifestream whipping in and out of cracks in the hard earth.

**"The place where Jenova landed... her life force is very strong here," **said Chaos, looking over to the silvered haired warrior, who nodded in reply.

"And this is where Mother will prepare your bodies for the Final Ascension. Once that's done, we will be ready. As for AVALANCHE..." Sephiroth suddenly laughed. "They'll be nothing but dust once we're finished with them!"

They descended into the Crater and upon closer inspection, Cloud saw black cladded men slowly making their way to the center. Sephiroth took notice of his look and explained. "They are Mother's servants that are called here. All those who shared her cells come here for the Reunion."

"Reunion...?" Cloud asked.

"Yes, Cloud. But, **our **Reunion will be special. When this is over, they will be of no more use to us. They are just mere puppets," Sephiroth nodded.

Though it sounded cruel, Cloud knew that this was part of his lover's plan for the future. The result was going to be worth it in the end, no doubt about it. They haven't come this far for nothing. Touching down, they walked deeper into the Crater. The wind howled against their ears and once in awhile, bolts of lightning would strike the ground, startling the blond. Nearing the center, Cloud heard something that only his ears picked up.

_Cloud..._

He suddenly froze, eyes going wide in recognization. That voice...!

_My dear Cloud..._

"... Mom?"

The other two stopped upon hearing Cloud stop. Seeing him shake, Sephiroth and Vincent immediately went to his side.

"Mom? Is that you! Where are you!" he called out to the winds surrounding them.

"Cloud? What's wrong?" Sephiroth asked.

_Cloud... I am here, my sweet boy..._

"Sephiroth, it's my mom! She's calling me! She's here!" Cloud exclaimed, tears brimming his eyes.

"We don't hear anything, Cloud," Vincent shook his head.

_Cloud... it's alright, my dear. Find me. _

"Mom? Where are you!" Cloud called out again before tearing away from the two and ran ahead.

"Cloud, wait!" Sephiroth called after him, the two running after him.

Dodging a green wind wave, the blond ran towards his mother's voice, beckoning him like a siren's song. Excitement beat within his chest. How he missed his mother! How missed hearing her!

_Oh Cloud... you've grown up so much. _

"Mom!" Cloud cried out, tears flying behind him.

_**Cloud, stop! The Planet is playing a trick on you!**_

The blond stopped as Jenova spoke to him. _What! Then, Mom isn't..._

_**No! The Planet wanted to seperate us, so they won't allow us to finish our plan! You need to get back to Sephiroth and Vincent!**_

Cloud nodded and before he could go, a bolt of lightning struck near him, stopping his progress. Unsheathing his blade, he looked around, alert for any monsters that may spring out of nowhere. Now, he was REALLY pissed off with the Planet. Not only did it seperate him and Sephiroth for five years, but it dared impersonate his mother! He cursed at it under his breath as he continued to look around. Suddenly, he instinctively ducked as a Sonic Speed zoomed over him.

"Ok, that's it! I'm sick and tired of this crap! You impersonating my mother was the last straw! I tried to forgive you for what's happened to me, but it seems that Sephiroth was right. This place is better off being destroyed! Listen and listen well! There's nothing you can do to tear us apart!" then, he screamed out to the heavens "I WON'T LET YOU GET AWAY WITH ANYTHING ANYMORE!"

As the monster bird came back around, Cloud's aura was glowing Mako as his eyes burned brightly, signaling his final Limit Break. He gripped Ragnorok in one hand while having the Buster Sword in the other and jumped at the Sonic Speed.

"I'm breaking my limit! **OMNISLASH!**" he shouted as he began a repeated chain of sword slashes.

The bird screeched out in agony with every strike that connected. Finally, Cloud jumped higher and with both swords glowing with raw energy, he thrusted them into the torso, ending the bird's life. Both fell to the ground, but the angry blond landed on his feet while the corpse fell into the endless abyss below. Panting heavily, he sheathed both swords and clenched his fists.

"I've had just about enough with this place. To think, I actually loved this Planet," he muttered angrily.

"Cloud!" The blond snapped up as he saw Sephiroth and Chaos hurrying over to him.

A relieved smile was on the face of the ex-General as the two lovers tightly embraced. "I heard you screaming and I feared the worst. What about-" Sephiroth started to ask.

"It was a lie. The Planet used the memory of my mother to lure me away from you. It hoped to seperate us so it could get rid of you," Cloud shook his head.

Sephiroth hugged him again. "... I'm sorry, Cloud. I know how much she meant to you. Now we know that the Planet will try anything to stop us from accomplishing our goal. We better keep going," he said before kissing his forehead.

Cloud and Chaos nodded before going on ahead at a run while Chaos flew above them. The winds whipped around them, forcing Cloud to shield his eyes from the blasts. Fortunately, Sephiroth was at his side to keep him from being blown away. Giving a quick nod of thanks to him, Cloud slowly got in front of the silver haired warrior while using his arms to shield himself further. Suddenly, they heard two strange voices around them, but this time, it didn't sound like it was coming from the Planet.

_At last... you have come. _

_We have been waiting for you for the longest time._

"Wha... who's there?" Sephiroth called out.

_There's no need fear... Sephiroth. _

The silver ex-General's breath hitched. It knew who he was! "How... how do you know my name? Has the Planet told you?" he asked into the now gentle wind.

A deep chuckle was the reply. _No. I've known you for a long while, but it seems your memory of me has blurred me to reintroduce myself._

The first figure with the deep voice stepped from the greenish haze. An elongated dragon of mako green scales and silver hue colored mane that stretched down its long back appeared before the three warriors. The dragon seemed to be fifteen feet in length and ten feet in height. Its eyes were a piercing turquoise as his locked onto Sephiroth's wide orbs. Suddenly, memories came flashing back to him that went back to when he was General in SOLDIER.

**Flashback**

_Sephiroth, who just became General five days ago, sat under a tree on the training field, a novel in his hand. His eyes were reading the next paragraph when he heard a mighty, yet pained roar from the skies above. Slightly startled, he quickly got to his feet, book forgotten and looked up just in time to see a dragon fly down into the Training Forest. But, as he saw it go down, he saw many gashes and cuts along its body. A loud crash was heard seconds later and Sephiroth rushed in that direction. Wrenching open the entrance gate, he tore down the dirt path and went deep into the forest. _

_"That dragon must've been in a rough fight with another of its kind," he said to himself as he leaped over the river in one mighty jump. _

_Arriving at the crash site, which was indicated by lots of fallen tree branches and a big, yet shallow crater, he saw the dragon curled up in a heap. Its breaths came out hard and ragged, pained whimpers in between. Shock and awe filled the General as he cautiously got closer, never taking his eyes off the grand beast. Hearing footsteps coming close, the dragon snapped its head up, letting out a threatening hiss. Sephiroth stopped brieflyand raised his eyes in a calming manner. _

_"Easy. I'm not here to hurt you. Calm down," he spoke softly as he slowly went closer._

_The dragon scrutinized Sephiroth for a moment before with a pained whine, fell back down. Sephiroth looked him over for a moment while reaching for a Master Cure materia. Indeed, there were many gashes and cuts along it, many of them bleeding heavily. _

_"I've got to stop this bleeding or it's going to die," he muttered before kneeling next to its head. _

_The dragon managed to look up again and saw a soft smile on the silver haired SOLDIER's face. "It's going to be okay. I'm going to help you, so relax, alright?" he soothed it, daring to stroke its head. _

_It accepted the touch and closed its eyes, as if telling to proceed. Sephiroth nodded and shut his own eyes, tapping into the materia's power. Placing his equipped hand over it, he muttered "Curaga". Sparks of light danced around the dragon's injured body as most of the wounds began to heal and stitch back together. _

_Reopening his eyes after cancelling the spell, he looked the dragon over again; the only things left were minor cuts, which should heal within a day or two. The dragon cooed at him and nuzzled his head as a thank you. Sephiroth only chuckled as he stroked its mane. "I'll be back later. I'll try and bring something to eat," he said before raising to his feet._

_True to his promise, later that night after dinner, Sephiroth snuck away to the forest, a basket filled with food in his hand. Making sure no one was watching him, he opened the gate and stole away into the dark forest. He found the dragon happily curled in the same spot where Sephiroth first found him. _

_"Hey there. You feeling any better?" he asked as he sat next to it. _

_The dragon nodded and Sephiroth's eyes widened, looking bewildered. "You... you understand me?" he gasped. _

_It nodded again, smiling in his eyes. Sephiroth let out a chuckle. "It looked like you got into a fight. Is that what happened to you?" he asked._

_The dragon nodded again, this time sadly. Sephiroth got a sympathetic look as he stroked its muzzle before smiling again. "Well... you're safe now. Come on, you better before it gets cold," he said before pulling away the small blanket to reveal several large pieces of steak and chicken. _

_It licked its hungrily as it took out the first steak and swallowed it in one bite, licking up any remains from his face. Sephiroth, too, decided to eat as he took out a chicken leg and napkin and bit down into the meat. They ate in silence for awhile until the basket was empty. Rubbing its head, the General got to his feet. "I have to go. I'll be back tomorrow. Right now, you should find a safe place so my SOLDIERs don't find you, ok?" he said. _

_The dragon nodded in understanding. However, Sephiroth seemed to think for a moment. "Well, I don't suppose you have a name, do you?" he asked. _

_To his surprise, it nodded and shocking Sephiroth for the second time, its voice filled his mind. _

_"My name is Silverus Okam. In the language of my kind, it means "Silver Mako." _

_Sephiroth grinned. "Nice to meet you. My name is Sephiroth."_

**End Flashback**

"Now I remember. You were... the dragon I saved," Sephiroth breathed as he went towards Silverus.

Silverus nodded, its eyes smiling. "And after all these years... you have changed. When I heard of your death, I mourned for you. You were my first true friend. Back then, humans sought us for our hides or just for sport. Now, my heart rejoices seeing you alive," he said aloud.

Sephiroth smiled as he ran towards Silverus and threw his arms around his neck. Silverus nuzzled him in return. For the first time, tears flowed from the silver haired ex-General's eyes. "I'm so sorry I've forgotten you... my friend," he whispered through his tears.

"I forgive you, Sephiroth," he said soothingly, wrapping his wings around him for comfort.

After a moment, Sephiroth released Silverus and turned to his allies. "Cloud, Chaos, this is Silverus. We met when he crashed into the Training Forest when I just became General. He was really hurt, so I helped him the best I could," he said, stroking Silverus's mane.

"My name is Cloud Strife and I have a question for you," the blond said.

"Go ahead," the dragon nodded.

"Do you know of a winged wolf name Arrna Rekozu?" he asked.

The dragon let out a deep chuckle. "You must be the one Arrna mentioned," he said.

Cloud gasped. "Really?" he exclaimed, excitement building in him.

He met Arrna when he was only a kid. The neighborhood bullies chased him into the mountains one day. He cowered in a cave, completely terrified of his pursuers and became more scared when they finally found him moments after he ran out of Nibelheim. Just when they were about to beat him up, this silver and blond humanoid wolf came to his rescue.

**Flashback**

_"I told you not to go near Tifa, didn't I, shrimp? Now, it's time to pay up," said the leader, cracking his knuckles. _

_"No! Please leave me alone!" little Cloud cried out, tears of fright in his innocent blue eyes. _

_The other bullies just laughed as they slowly advanced on him. Suddenly, a loud and commanding roar sounded through the cave, stopping the bullies dead in their tracks as they looked around for the source. _

_"Let's get out of here, Toby! Monsters are coming!" said one bully before turning tail and ran out of the cave, the rest following, leaving only Toby and Cloud, who was shaking like a leaf. _

_Toby hesitated for a moment before, too, running out of the cave. "You're monster bait anyway, Strife!" he called over his shoulder. _

_Cloud didn't move in fear of giving himself away to the creature that may be watching him. Then, a tall, muscular figure stepped from the shadows. His eyes were feral-yellow with slitted irises. _

_"Please... please don't eat me," Cloud whimpered._

_The figure let out a laugh. This laugh wasn't evil; it was comforting. "Now, why would I eat you, little one? I may be a wolf, but humans are not my diet," it said. _

_As it stepped into the light, Cloud saw the figure was indeed a wolf, but it had two white angelic wings coming from its back. It stood over seven feet tall and its body fur was silver, but on the top of its head, he had blond streaks. What surprised him was that this particular wolf was standing on its hind legs and had a sword tied to its side. _

_"My name is Arrna Rekozu," he said in a soft voice as he knelt in front of Cloud. _

_Seeing that the wolf meant no harm, Cloud stood to his feet and wiped his tears. "My name is Cloud. Thank you for helping me," he said. _

_Arrna nodded as he stood to his feet and picked up the young child. Cloud curled himself into his furry chest, immediately feeling safe. Arrna gently stroked his hair. "It's alright, young Cloud. You're safe now," he said soothingly. _

_The warmth of Arrna's fur and him stroking his hair was enough to lull the little boy to sleep. _

**End Flashback**

Cloud was snapped out of his memories as he heard soft footsteps. Looking up, there stood Arrna. Cloud couldn't believe it; it was really him! "Arrna...?" he gasped.

The wolf smiled. "Hello, Cloud. It's been a long time, old friend. You've really grown over the years," he said.

Cloud could only nod. Arrna looked about a foot taller than he last remembered. The wolf ruffled the ex-SOLDIER's blond spikes, who let out a soft laugh in reply before embracing him. The wolf wrapped his wings around him in return. "It is good to see you again, young one," he said.

"You, too. But, what happened to you? I never saw you again after I left Nibelheim," Cloud asked.

"... I've been watching over you ever since you joined Sephiroth. I knew you didn't remember, but I never once left your side. I was waiting for the day when we could be reunited. I met Silverus and together, we decided to follow you three. Although I find your desire quite questionable" at this, Cloud flinched slightly. "I will stand by your side, nonetheless. You two were the first to befriend both of us, although we are of different species," Arrna said.

Both lovers grinned. Watching this reunion from within Chaos was Vincent. Inside, he was smiling at the sight.

_**My sons! AVALANCHE is here! **_came Jenova's voice.

Sephiroth gritted his teeth in anger. "I've had with them," he growled.

Silverus sensed his friend's anger. "I take it that you have pursuers," he said.

The silver haired man nodded. "They are called AVALANCHE. They want to stop us from completing our mission. We have to stop them once and for all," he replied with a determined glare.

Hearing the approaching group, Cloud laid a hand on Ragnorok. "Sephiroth, Vincent, listen to me. You guys need to get going. You need to look after the Black Materia. Arrna and I will hold them off," he said, unsheathing his sword.

"No, Cloud! We go together-" Sephiroth started to argue.

"SEPHIROTH!" Sephiroth recoiled from the blond's shout. "You've been looking after me ever since we first started this journey. Now, it's my turn to look after you." He briefly turned to the silver dragon. "Look after Sephiroth... please?"

Silverus nodded. "I will, warrior," he said.

Sephiroth looked ready to argue again, but Silverus's tail wrapped around him and placed him on his back. With that, Silverus and Chaos took off towards the center of the Crater. The ex-General looked back helplessly as they flew away. Yet, he managed shout to him "YOU BETTER BE BEHIND US WHEN WE GET THERE!"

He wouldn't see it, but Cloud gave him a smirk in return before turning back to the task at hand; slowing down AVALANCHE. "Ready, Arrna?" he asked.

The white wolf unsheathed his blade. "I'm right behind you, Cloud."

**AN: Arrna and Silverus belong to Rose Mistress, who has some awesome stories! Check out her profile sometime! **


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